I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

Merry Christmas .  

Instead of a card on Christmas  Day, I’m sharing one of my favorite Christmas  songs. 

I saw Casting Crowns perform “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” in concert the year they released it.  The song was powerful and still is.

The basis of the song is “Christmas Bells” a poem written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow on Christmas  Day 1863.  The earlier loss of his wife, pressure of raising six children as a single parent, war injury to his son, and the tragedy of the Civil War caused him great despair.  He heard Christmas bells ringing in Cambridge, Mass and the singing of “Peace on Earth” (Luke 2:14). Afterward, he wrote his moving poem about hope surfacing from despair.  After much anguish and despondency, there were bells and the resolution “God is not dead, nor doth He sleep" and there will ultimately be "...peace on earth, good will to men.”  

The poem was first set to music in 1872 and has been sung by many people.

Please listen and enjoy with earbuds or headphones this live version of “I Heard the Bells on Christmas  Day” by Casting Crowns.