Horses trotting happily while
pulling on a cutter sleigh
was quite a common sight to see
in winter’s north-west USA.

This was the eighteen-fifties, when
Pierpont made his catchy song.
Created for Thanksgiving, then
it stayed ‘til Christmas came along.

New gramophone technology
soon spread this song across the seas.
Now JINGLE BELLS stars frequently
in winter-time festivities.

Two astronauts on Gemini Six,
December nineteen-sixty-five,
with sleigh bells and harmonica
performed this song in space – yes LIVE!

https://www.britannica.com/one-good-fact/what-was-the-first-song-played-in-space