The Beautiful Story and Meaning behind ‘Carol of the Bells’

Most of us have heard “Carol of the Bells” at least once, and if we’ve attended Christmas church services or participated in a caroling group or a holiday choral ensemble, we’ve most likely sung it ourselves.

This song, that breaks into four parts, has a somewhat harrowing and beautiful tone. Whether sung in a different language or in English, listeners cannot help but get absorbed in the notes and quick-paced nature of the lyrics.

And although many of us have heard the song, most of us likely do not know the beautiful story and meaning behind “Carol of the Bells.”

In fact, like many carols we’ve come to know and love, this song didn’t start as a Christmas tune. And unlike many Christmas songs that had their origins in the 1800s, this one had a bit of a later start, in Ukraine in 1914.

We’ll dive into the brief history of “Carol of the Bells,” the meaning of the lyrics, what Scriptures can relate to the song, and what this song means for us today.

The History of 'Carol of the Bells'

Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych arranged the song in 1916 and Peter J. Wilhousky wrote the lyrics. But the song originated as a Ukrainian folk song called “Shchedryk.”

Rather than celebrating the Christmas holiday, “Shchedryk,” from the perspective of a swallow, wishes families a Happy New Year.

That’s right. The song originated as a song to usher in New Year’s celebrations.

Swallows, a sign of spring, would’ve given audience members hope for better times. Especially since during the 1914-1919 range, Ukraine experienced political upheaval, including the first World War. This song gave listeners a glimpse of happiness and peace.

Shchedryk made its way to Carnegie Hall, in the United States, in 1921, where it would later experience a transformation from a Ukrainian New Year’s song to a Christmas one. 

The song didn’t receive a Christmas makeover until 1936 when Wilhousky, mentioned above, heard the song and it reminded him of bells. He rearranged the song, anglicizing it, and thus “Carol of the Bells” was born.

Meaning Behind the Lyrics of 'Carol of the Bells'

We’d already explored the lyrics of the original song, a song to bring good tidings from the new year. But what about the anglicized version? Did the English lyrics add any nuances to this tune?

The English version doesn’t appear to add much dimension in terms of a deep meaning. The song simply remarks about bells and how they bring joy and cheer to all people.

Similar to its original predecessor, the English version tries to bring hope to its listeners, especially during dark winter seasons.

Although it may not have as deep of a meaning as other carols such as “O Come Emmanuel” and “O Holy Night,” the song still reminds us of the good tidings and celebration associated with the Christmas season. “Carol of the Bells” can lift us from our dampened spirits brought about by the cold, dark wintry seasons.

What Does the Bible Say about 'Carol of the Bells'

It shouldn’t surprise us that we have absolutely no verses on a song composed in the 20th century. Nor did bells exist during biblical times. But we do have many passages associated with Jesus’ birth that give hope to the reader, especially during dreary times.

Isaiah 40:4: “Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.”

Lyrics to Handel’s “Messiah” may be running through our heads as we read this verse. Isaiah wrote many prophecies about Jesus’ coming, during a time of political turmoil. Israel had been handed over to its political enemies, and they needed all the hope they could get. Hence passages like this one.

Luke 2:10: “But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.”

For more hope-filled verses for the Christmas season, check out this article here. 

You cannot have Christmas and Jesus without the word hope. God brought exactly that to the world when he came to us, in the flesh, and lived the life we should’ve lived, and died the death we deserved to die.

What Can We Learn from 'Carol of the Bells'?

Although not rich in lyrics pulled from Scripture, unlike Handel’s “Messiah,” “Carol of the Bells” reminds us about the important need for hope during the Christmas season.

Like the Israelites in the first century, we await a Savior to return to the world and set everything right. As we wait, we remember the first time our Savior came to earth and brought hope to the world.

Through this song, we can also discover the importance of hopeful lyrics during the most difficult times of our lives. The original version of this song was composed during one of the greatest atrocities the world had ever seen, the first World War. People had never witnessed destruction to that caliber.

Finally, “Carol of the Bells” shows us that we can transform something and make it into something beautiful. 

We may find that throughout our lives God shapes us from one thing into another. The song originated as a New Year’s tune, but later, almost every church sings the song for the Christmas season.

In the same way, our Savior can give us multiple purposes for our lives. Perhaps in one season, he will have us follow one vocation, and in another, he will use us for something else.

Once we’ve exhausted or feel like we need to move on from one purpose, we often find that he has something else waiting for us around the corner. After all, he turned priests like Ezekiel into prophets midway through their life. If Elijah can experience a vocation change when half of his life was over, so can we. 

No matter what the case, God can use as a vessel for hope, to bring cheer to people no matter what the season: Christmas, New Year’s, or another time of the year entirely.

Photo credit: Unsplash/alisa-anton

Hope Bolinger is an acquisitions editor at End Game Press, book editor for hire, and the author of almost 30 books. More than 1500 of her works have been featured in various publications. Check out her books at hopebolinger.com for clean books in most genres, great for adults and kids. Check out her editing profile at Reedsy.com to find out about hiring her for your next book project.

This article is part of our larger Christmas and Advent resource library centered around the events leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ. We hope these articles help you understand the meaning and story behind important Christian holidays and dates and encourage you as you take time to reflect on all that God has done for us through His Son, Jesus Christ!

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