Christmas would not be Christmas without the ringing of bells. The air pulsates with the chiming of church bells, sleigh bells, jingle bells, and, of course, the bells that “cha-ching” on cash registers.
Perhaps the most prominent tintinnabulations of the season are made by the small hand bells gently swung by Salvation Army volunteers on duty at their red kettles. They cheerily brave the cold to remind shoppers that there is more to Christmas than shopping.
The red kettle represents a holiday tradition that goes back well over a century.
It started in December of 1891 in San Francisco. Joseph McFee, a captain in the Salvation Army, wanted to provide a free Christmas dinner to poor people in the city. When he tried to think of ways to gather the money needed for food, he remembered something he had seen as a sailor near the docks of Liverpool, England. It was a large vessel called a “Simpson’s pot” into which passers-by threw their charitable donations.
He placed a similar container at the foot of Market Street, thereby launching the tradition of the Salvation Army kettle. Now 125 years later, thousands of red kettles and their jovial bell-ringing attendants are symbols of the Christmas spirit. They are stationed outside stores such as Walmart, Sam’s Club, Kroger’s, J. C. Penney’s, Big Lots and other participating businesses. Put a penny in the pot, or a quarter, or a dollar, and you’ll hear a hearty “God bless you” or “Merry Christmas.”
Major Ron Busroe, community relations secretary, says, “The Salvation Army is humbled by the support from millions of Americans who put money in our kettles every year. The red kettle campaign is a crucial fundraising period for us.”
Nearly 30 million people are helped by the Salvation Army every year. That’s about one person per second. Ten million nights of shelter are provided to the homeless, along with nearly 60 million meals. The army makes available a wide range of social services, assistance to the disabled, and aid to the elderly.
The familiar red Salvation Army Shield is a source of relief in disaster areas around the world. And, at this time of year, their Angel Tree gives toys to more than a million kids.
Not all the funding is provided by the red kettles. Contributions flow in throughout the year, but the Christmas giving is a vital share.
The simplicity of the red kettle outside is quite a contrast to what’s going on inside the stores. Harried clerks hardly have time to greet customers, and if they say anything, it is a hurried and politically-correct “Happy Holidays.”
Shoppers are jockeying for position in line for big discounts, busily marking the names off their shopping lists. Kids caught up in the maelstrom are waiting to tell Santa what they want this year.
Mixed in the cacophony are the faint notes of “Jingle Bells,” “White Christmas,” “Let It Snow,’ and “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.” Bells are ringing, too, but they are likely coming from cell phones as seasoned shoppers reconnoiter and strategize their shopping maneuvers.
There is a real danger, that, amid the buying binge for gifts, wrapping paper and stocking stuffers, many inside the stores will miss, or at least forget, the meaning of the holiday.
Thank goodness for the Salvation Army bell ringers huddled outside. They remind us that this is a time to think of people who may not be on our shopping lists. Their jingling bells ring out the news that it is, indeed, Christmas, and not just another happy holiday.
James Johnson is a retired teacher who lives in Greenwood. Send comments to [email protected].
