"I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" is a popular Christmas carol that has it's roots in the Civil War. Having lost his wife in a bizarre and tragic fire in 1861 and having learned of the wounding of his son in battle in 1863, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow sat down and wrote the poem, "Christmas Bells" after hearing the church bells ringing on Christmas Day. It captures the dissonance that he felt between the promise of peace and violent reality of war around him.
The poem was put to music in 1872 but many of the references to the Civil War were removed. Since then, millions have both sang and listened to the song without knowing its true origin.
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