New York elementary school cancels 'Jingle Bells' over potential ties to minstrel culture

A New York elementary school recently cancelled the popular Christmas classic “Jingle Bells” after discovering that the song was possibly first performed in a minstrel show with performers wearing blackface, the Washington Examiner reported.

According to the Rochester Beacon, Council Rock Primary School principal Matt Tappon confirmed that “Jingle Bells,” along with several other children's songs, have been replaced by other pieces that don’t have the “potential to be controversial or offensive.”

The primary school decided to cancel the Christmas classic after coming across research by Boston University professor Kyna Hamill which claims that the song’s first public performance may have been in a minstrel show 150 years ago.

Brighton’s district assistant superintendent also claimed that bells worn by slaves may have been influential in the song’s origin.  

Some members of the community, however, believe removing the song is problematic.

"You hear 'Jingle Bells,' and it's just the spirit of Christmas time," says Mary Santiago from Rochester. "Christmas without 'Jingle Bells' isn't Christmas. I feel it's ridiculous." 

Others were quick to defend the school’s decision.

"It is taking away a Christmas tradition. That's a tradition, like so many traditions, that we need to lose if it's tied to slavery or racism. It's just that simple," said Ruth Ferguson, whose children once attended the school.