Xmas surprises

In 1857, Boston Sunday School teacher James Pierpont wrote the song “The one horse open sleigh” for his 40 pupils to perform during Thanksgiving festivities. A friend remarked at the time, ”What a merry little jingle” and the children’s performance was such a success they were asked to perform it again at Christmas. Read the full story here.

In 1965 Jingle bells was the first song broadcast from space. Astronauts on the Gemini 6 mission performed the song after they sent mission control this report:
We have an object, looks like a satellite going from north to south, probably in polar orbit... I see a command module and eight smaller modules in front. The pilot of the command module is wearing a red suit...
Read more here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jingle_Bells

The original words of jingle bells and four verses find that the tale is actually about the highs and lows of sleigh racing...

Dashing through the snow
In a one-horse open sleigh
O'er the fields we go
Laughing all the way
Bells on bobtail ring (Or Hear our voices ring)
Making spirits bright
What fun it is to laugh and sing (Or What fun it is to ride and sing / Oh, what fun it is to sing)
A sleighing song tonight

Chorus
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way;
Oh! what fun [joy] it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh.
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way;
Oh! what fun [joy] it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh.

A day or two ago
I thought I'd take a ride
And soon, Miss Fanny Bright
Was seated by my side,
The horse was lean and lank
Misfortune seemed his lot
He got into a drifted bank
And then we [And we—we] got upsot

Chorus

A day or two ago,
The story I must tell
I went out on the snow,
And on my back I fell;
A gent was riding by
In a one-horse open sleigh,
He laughed as there I sprawling lie,
But quickly drove away.

Chorus

Now the ground is white
Go it while you're young,
Take the girls tonight
and sing this sleighing song;
Just get a bobtailed bay
Two forty as [for] his speed
[and] Hitch him to an open sleigh
And crack! you'll take the lead.

Chorus