Merry Christmas!

Many people all over the world sing the song “Carol of the bells” or “Shchedryk” But do you know the history of this song?

“Shchedryk ” from Ukrainian Шедрий вечер “Bountiful Evening “is a Ukrainian Shchedrivka , or New Year’s carol . It was arranged by Ukrainian composer and teacher Mykola Leontovych in 1916 and tells a story of a swallow flying into a household to sing of wealth that will come with the following spring.

The song was first performed by students at Kiev University in December 1916, but the song lost popularity in the Ukraine shortly after the Soviet Union took hold.

“Shchedrivka ” was later adapted as an English Christmas carol ” Carol of the bells “by Peter J.Wilhousky and later the song became popular in the United States, where it became strongly associated with Christmas.

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