The term “wedding bells” has become an American colloquialism for the merger or marriage of two people or entities. In some instances it is used as to describe the merger of two companies as though they were getting married and it is often used in the place of a formal engagement announcement to speculate on the status of a relationship, as in “Are they hearing wedding bells?”
In decades past, when most people were married in churches, bells would ring out after the ceremony as another way to announce to the community that a wedding had taken place. The church’s bells often served as way of informing the community when something important had taken place.
More recently, wedding bells are used almost exclusively as decorations for weddings, usually at bridal showers or at receptions and not at the wedding itself. The most common icon for the decoration is a pair of bells connected at the top with a ribbon, signifying the uniting of two people in wedlock.
When used for decorating, the bells themselves are almost always white and tied with a silver ribbon, colors commemorating the visuals associated with a formal wedding.
In modern times, the phrase “hearing wedding bells” has come to mean that a relationship might be more serious than casual dating. With fewer and fewer couples resorting to the traditional engagement announcement and engagement party, especially when celebrities are involved, the tabloids often speculate about “hearing wedding bells.”
The colloquialism has also recently been expanded into the business world, for use when companies are considering a merger. This usually implies a mutually beneficial merger done with agreement from both companies rather than a hostile takeover.
The implication is that like a couple that has chosen to marry; the companies involved have chosen to create a lifelong partnership and are thus “hearing wedding bells.”
Despite these more modern uses of the term, wedding bells is most appropriately used for the resounding, joyful peeling of the bells used to commemorate a marriage. This is still done in more traditional churches worldwide and is considered to be the formal ending of most weddings, announcing the formation of the receiving line for the bride and groom.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Silver bells
Silver bells were once available only to those who could afford the workings of a fine silversmith. Used in upscale homes, silver bells were often family keepsakes or a casual reminder tot he viewer that the person they were visiting could afford the finest things in life.
Traditionally, silver bells would be used to summon servants or to commemorate special events. In the latter case, often they would be engraved to create a special memory of a wedding or other event.
Silver bells has also been used in Christmas music as another term for jingle bells. In the popular Christmas song of the same name, the “Silver Bells” in question are undoubtedly strings of jingle bells used to help denote the Christmas holiday. Jingle bells are traditionally made of a silver-colored metal and make the “ring-a-ling” sound quoted in the song. Bells made of silver sound and are more delicate.
The song “Silver Bells” is feel-good holiday song, playing on the commercialism of the holiday. It refers to shopper rushing home with their treasures and the decorations of the city as people bustle around buying presents.
Though the Salvation Army does use bell ringers during the holidays, few are equipped with silver bells. The soft metal of the silver is inappropriate for something designed to be used often or for something other than a delicate tinkling.
One use of the phrase silver bells not associated with Christmas is from the old nursery rhyme, “Mary, Mary Quite Contrary.” Historians speculate that the nursery rhyme was targeted at Bloody Mary, daughter of Henry VIII of England, and speaks of her propensity towards torture. The silver bells in the nursery rhyme were most like thumb screws that Mary Tudor used to torture her enemies.
The rhyme, “Mary, Mary Quite Contrary, How Does Your Garden Grow, With silver bells and cockleshells, and pretty maids all in a row” is thought to refer to the more than 300 people the Queen tortured and executed during her reign.
Traditionally, silver bells would be used to summon servants or to commemorate special events. In the latter case, often they would be engraved to create a special memory of a wedding or other event.
Silver bells has also been used in Christmas music as another term for jingle bells. In the popular Christmas song of the same name, the “Silver Bells” in question are undoubtedly strings of jingle bells used to help denote the Christmas holiday. Jingle bells are traditionally made of a silver-colored metal and make the “ring-a-ling” sound quoted in the song. Bells made of silver sound and are more delicate.
The song “Silver Bells” is feel-good holiday song, playing on the commercialism of the holiday. It refers to shopper rushing home with their treasures and the decorations of the city as people bustle around buying presents.
Though the Salvation Army does use bell ringers during the holidays, few are equipped with silver bells. The soft metal of the silver is inappropriate for something designed to be used often or for something other than a delicate tinkling.
One use of the phrase silver bells not associated with Christmas is from the old nursery rhyme, “Mary, Mary Quite Contrary.” Historians speculate that the nursery rhyme was targeted at Bloody Mary, daughter of Henry VIII of England, and speaks of her propensity towards torture. The silver bells in the nursery rhyme were most like thumb screws that Mary Tudor used to torture her enemies.
The rhyme, “Mary, Mary Quite Contrary, How Does Your Garden Grow, With silver bells and cockleshells, and pretty maids all in a row” is thought to refer to the more than 300 people the Queen tortured and executed during her reign.
Jingle Bells
Though most well known because of the Christmas song of the same name, jingle bells are actually a specific type of bell. These bells are almost global in design, with a cutout at the bottom of the orb, usually in the symbol of an “X” or cross. Inside the orb, a metallic ball bounces freely to create the jingling sound of these bells.
Jingle bells are most often associated with the Christmas holiday, even though the song “Jingle Bells” was originally written as part of a Thanksgiving program in 1857. The song was an instant hit and performed again that year as part of a Christmas program. It has been the quintessential Christmas song since then.
Per the song, the jingle bells were used to decorate the horses’ harnesses as part of a sleigh ride. In some regions of Canada where sleighs are still used as winter transportation, the law even requires that the sleighs be fitted with bells that jingle with movement.
Once jingle bells became affiliated with the Christmas holiday, they became a bit of a Christmas icon, used in many different manners. It is not unusual to see jingle bells replace doorbells during the Christmas holidays or to see them used as a musical instrument in children’s plays during winter productions.
Generally, jingle bells are silver and attached to something, often a red velvet ribbon that can easily be shaken to cause their telltale tinkling. Jingle bells have a much more high-pitched and soft sound than a standard bell, more of a tinkle than a gong.
In later years, the song “Jingle Bells” has often been parodied by children and adults alike. The original song talks of a young man who takes a young woman for a ride in his sleigh only to have the sleigh turn over in a snow bank. Later verses describe the young man’s rival laughing at his misfortune and the final verse speaks of betting on a fast horse that is attached to the sleigh.
In addition to the parodies, the song “Jingle Bells” also inspired later secular Christmas tunes including “Jingle Bell Rock”.
Jingle bells are most often associated with the Christmas holiday, even though the song “Jingle Bells” was originally written as part of a Thanksgiving program in 1857. The song was an instant hit and performed again that year as part of a Christmas program. It has been the quintessential Christmas song since then.
Per the song, the jingle bells were used to decorate the horses’ harnesses as part of a sleigh ride. In some regions of Canada where sleighs are still used as winter transportation, the law even requires that the sleighs be fitted with bells that jingle with movement.
Once jingle bells became affiliated with the Christmas holiday, they became a bit of a Christmas icon, used in many different manners. It is not unusual to see jingle bells replace doorbells during the Christmas holidays or to see them used as a musical instrument in children’s plays during winter productions.
Generally, jingle bells are silver and attached to something, often a red velvet ribbon that can easily be shaken to cause their telltale tinkling. Jingle bells have a much more high-pitched and soft sound than a standard bell, more of a tinkle than a gong.
In later years, the song “Jingle Bells” has often been parodied by children and adults alike. The original song talks of a young man who takes a young woman for a ride in his sleigh only to have the sleigh turn over in a snow bank. Later verses describe the young man’s rival laughing at his misfortune and the final verse speaks of betting on a fast horse that is attached to the sleigh.
In addition to the parodies, the song “Jingle Bells” also inspired later secular Christmas tunes including “Jingle Bell Rock”.
Doorbells
Doorbells are used as a method of announcing one’s presence at someone’s home or place of business via a mechanized bell. Where once ornate doorknockers were the preferred method of announcing visitors, doorbells have replaced knocking.
Most doorbell feature a small button attached to a location near the door. By pushing on the button, a visitor completes a tiny electrical circuit, causing a bell or chime to sound. In most cases, the doorbell has a plain chime or series of chimes to alert the residents within that someone is at the door. However, customized doorbells are available so that people can choose to have the doorbell play a favorite tune.
Most businesses have a modified form of the doorbell that sounds whenever the door is opened. Again, this is to alert the shop owner to the presence of a customer, so that he may leave non-essential tasks and attend to the need of the customer. Doorbells for businesses are modified less frequently, often emitting either a single chime or buzz to alert the business owner.
Doorbells have become preferred to knocking for two main reasons: the size of modern houses and the numerous indoor appliances that can make it difficult to hear someone knocking.
A century ago, when houses were mostly small, cramped quarters, rapping on the door could be heard throughout most of the house. It was a perfectly fine method for attracting the occupants’ attention and getting them to answer the door. Now, however, it is not uncommon to see homes in excess of 3,000 square feet and some rapping at a door near the front of the house might be completely missed by someone at the read of the house.
The additional problem solved by doorbells was the noise level inherent in a modern home. Between dishwashers, televisions, microwaves, computers and vacuum cleaners it is not only possible, but also likely that someone merely knocking on a door could be overlooked.
And, although it seems like a small advantage to having a doorbell, it is less damaging to one’s hands. Raping loudly enough to get someone’s attention on a heavy wooden door can be quite painful. Adding a doorbell makes the process of receiving a visitor much easier on the visitor who now needs only press a button rather than scrape their knuckles against a door.
Most doorbell feature a small button attached to a location near the door. By pushing on the button, a visitor completes a tiny electrical circuit, causing a bell or chime to sound. In most cases, the doorbell has a plain chime or series of chimes to alert the residents within that someone is at the door. However, customized doorbells are available so that people can choose to have the doorbell play a favorite tune.
Most businesses have a modified form of the doorbell that sounds whenever the door is opened. Again, this is to alert the shop owner to the presence of a customer, so that he may leave non-essential tasks and attend to the need of the customer. Doorbells for businesses are modified less frequently, often emitting either a single chime or buzz to alert the business owner.
Doorbells have become preferred to knocking for two main reasons: the size of modern houses and the numerous indoor appliances that can make it difficult to hear someone knocking.
A century ago, when houses were mostly small, cramped quarters, rapping on the door could be heard throughout most of the house. It was a perfectly fine method for attracting the occupants’ attention and getting them to answer the door. Now, however, it is not uncommon to see homes in excess of 3,000 square feet and some rapping at a door near the front of the house might be completely missed by someone at the read of the house.
The additional problem solved by doorbells was the noise level inherent in a modern home. Between dishwashers, televisions, microwaves, computers and vacuum cleaners it is not only possible, but also likely that someone merely knocking on a door could be overlooked.
And, although it seems like a small advantage to having a doorbell, it is less damaging to one’s hands. Raping loudly enough to get someone’s attention on a heavy wooden door can be quite painful. Adding a doorbell makes the process of receiving a visitor much easier on the visitor who now needs only press a button rather than scrape their knuckles against a door.
Bells, bells
For centuries, bells have been the attention-getters, drawing people together for an emergency, for church services or for the news.
Bells toll at the announcement of a new Pope and at the death of heads of state. Traditionally, in decades past, every village had a bell, which served as a warning or call to bring people together when everyone needed to know something.
A bell is usually made of metal, though smaller hand-held bells are sometimes made of ceramic or glass, is a sort of semi-circle with a clapper inside. The shape of the bell is designed so that when the clapper strikes the side of the bell, the sound reverberates outward.
The size of the bell, as well as the material it is made of, determine the resonance that it sounds at, resulting in a deep ringing tone or a high pitched tinkle. Smaller hand-held bells are played as percussion instruments in some countries, particularly during the winter holiday season. Larger bells, the size of a man or larger, adorn church towers and village meeting halls.
For centuries the bell was used to call people together. Many homes had a dinner bell to call the large family to the table to eat and many communities used a bell in the days before sirens and alarm systems to warn of everything from a fire to an upcoming event, like a village council meeting.
Early bells were also a manner of calling to people when clocks were less prevalent. A tolling bell tower in the center of town could alert people tot he time of day or an important event. In most churches, the bells were rung prior to the beginning of services to allow people to have time to travel to the church and to alert them that it was time to arrive.
Bells were also rung at funerals to let mourners know that funeral services had ended or that a deathly-ill person had passed. One of the world’s most famous bells, the American Liberty Bell, was cracked when it was rung to announce the death of Supreme Court Justice John Marshall.
Traditionally, many bells were hung in high towers so that they could be heard throughout a region. For those bells, a rope or chain had to be attached to allow a person standing several floors below to exert enough force to move the bell, causing the clapper to “ring” against its side.
Bells toll at the announcement of a new Pope and at the death of heads of state. Traditionally, in decades past, every village had a bell, which served as a warning or call to bring people together when everyone needed to know something.
A bell is usually made of metal, though smaller hand-held bells are sometimes made of ceramic or glass, is a sort of semi-circle with a clapper inside. The shape of the bell is designed so that when the clapper strikes the side of the bell, the sound reverberates outward.
The size of the bell, as well as the material it is made of, determine the resonance that it sounds at, resulting in a deep ringing tone or a high pitched tinkle. Smaller hand-held bells are played as percussion instruments in some countries, particularly during the winter holiday season. Larger bells, the size of a man or larger, adorn church towers and village meeting halls.
For centuries the bell was used to call people together. Many homes had a dinner bell to call the large family to the table to eat and many communities used a bell in the days before sirens and alarm systems to warn of everything from a fire to an upcoming event, like a village council meeting.
Early bells were also a manner of calling to people when clocks were less prevalent. A tolling bell tower in the center of town could alert people tot he time of day or an important event. In most churches, the bells were rung prior to the beginning of services to allow people to have time to travel to the church and to alert them that it was time to arrive.
Bells were also rung at funerals to let mourners know that funeral services had ended or that a deathly-ill person had passed. One of the world’s most famous bells, the American Liberty Bell, was cracked when it was rung to announce the death of Supreme Court Justice John Marshall.
Traditionally, many bells were hung in high towers so that they could be heard throughout a region. For those bells, a rope or chain had to be attached to allow a person standing several floors below to exert enough force to move the bell, causing the clapper to “ring” against its side.
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