The sound of bells announces the birth of Christ on earth.
According to one medieval misconception it is said that the Devil
died when Christ was born. If we go back to history we will see that
the tradition of bells started way back to the Middle Ages in which
bells were the only form of communication or sound to gather large
crowds together. Even during church ceremonies bells would often be
rung to signify a particular part in a service like a prayer or
bowing to those who were outside the church and could not see what
was going on so they would know how to participate. Through the
ringing of a bell the importance of a bell is understood. In some
churches, Easter was a 3-bell event, and Christmas was a 4-bell
event. So bells play quite a vital part in the celebration of
Christmas.Christmas bells are always
associated with Christianity and churches. Here is an answer what it
is so symbolic to associate bells with Christmas.
Bells
Bells are always associated with the churches and
the religion of Christianity. It is said that with Christmas the use
of large church bells to call the faithful to worship may have been
started by Bishop Paulinus of Nola (431 A.D.) in Campania. For many,
the holy sound of church bells ringing out on a Sunday morning
brings to mind the commandments of the Lords. Their pitch and rhythm
indicate joy, warning, or sorrow so that the community might rejoice
with the joyful, and mourn with the sorrowful. Bells are symbolic of
the harmony existing in the society. It acts as a medium between
heaven and earth, bells and especially their clappers, represent
communication and suspension between humans and God. New church
bells have been dedicated and even baptized before being used. One
legend states that the townspeople of Lochen, Holland neglected to
baptize two church bells. So one day, the Devil grabbed these bells
and buried them in the bottom of two ponds outside the town. Even
today, on Christmas Eve, these bells may be heard ringing at
midnight. In other European towns, the ringing of bells from
churches that were swallowed up by earthquakes during worship
services may be heard by putting one's ear to the ground on
Christmas Eve.
The sound of bells announces the birth of Christ on earth.
According to one medieval misconception it is said that the Devil
died when Christ was born. If we go back to history we will see that
the tradition of bells started way back to the Middle Ages in which
bells were the only form of communication or sound to gather large
crowds together. Even during church ceremonies bells would often be
rung to signify a particular part in a service like a prayer or
bowing to those who were outside the church and could not see what
was going on so they would know how to participate. Through the
ringing of a bell the importance of a bell is understood. In some
churches, Easter was a 3-bell event, and Christmas was a 4-bell
event. So bells play quite a vital part in the celebration of
Christmas.
The sound of bells announces the birth of Christ on earth.
According to one medieval misconception it is said that the Devil
died when Christ was born. If we go back to history we will see that
the tradition of bells started way back to the Middle Ages in which
bells were the only form of communication or sound to gather large
crowds together. Even during church ceremonies bells would often be
rung to signify a particular part in a service like a prayer or
bowing to those who were outside the church and could not see what
was going on so they would know how to participate. Through the
ringing of a bell the importance of a bell is understood. In some
churches, Easter was a 3-bell event, and Christmas was a 4-bell
event. So bells play quite a vital part in the celebration of
Christmas.