James Lord Pierpont was not a hit either time. The popularity of the song, however, grew with the passage of time to the point where it became one of the most popular and recognizable songs of the Christmas holiday. The original lyrics to "The One Horse Open Sleigh" as written by James Lord Pierpont in 1857 are as follows: <poem>Dashing thro' the snow, In a one-horse open sleigh, O'er the hills we go, Laughing all the way; Bells on bob tail ring, Making spirits bright, Oh what sport to ride and sing A sleighing song to night. Jingle bells, Jingle bells, Jingle all
Did Christians Steal Christmas? to explain these differences away. Part 3: “Christmas Customs” notes that “In addition to shaping key elements of the Christmas narrative itself, paganism also influenced some of the more secular Christmas traditions” [Footnote: p. 21]. Stovold outlines several such customs (the Pantomime, the Boar’s Head, the Christmas Turkey, and Christmas Evergreens). The booklet had its origins in a 1974 work by R.J. Condon entitled "Our Pagan Christmas" [Footnote: p. 9] but Stovold's 2007 booklet contains additional material, an extensive bibliography and (in many cases) hyperlinks enabling readers to access the cited material for themselves. Did Christians Steal Christmas? Synopsis The