Ringing bells on Christmas Eve

[GreatestShowUnicorn]

Have you heard about thus the plan is to ring bells outside at 6pm on Christmas Eve fb.me/e/2ZmVN5A8h

It's not for me. Will be indoors watching Arthur Christmas, as we always do on Xmas Eve

I'm the most cynical bastard in the world but i think this is actually a nice idea.

The clapping for the NHS not so much.

I'm not religious but I think it would be a nice memory for kids when this is all over and we are all on a vaccination program.

I have happy memories of the power cuts in the 1970's though. My parents were resilient and resourceful and made it fun because we were scared.

I thought this might be about churches ringing their bells on Christmas Eve, which would be nice. But if people want to do this other thing, I don't really see the harm. It could cause bell panic buying though.

I have a teeny tiny ‘welcome to Cornwall’ bell that I bought my mother from a tat shop during a school trip in 1976. Not sure if it still has its clapper but I’ll be on my doorstep wearing me old plague mask and robes from the trunk in the attic.

Back in the 70s my Mum used to ring little bells outside our door when we'd gone to bed on Christmas Eve

What a lovely mum!

I'm not sure we'll do it, not many kids on our street and mine are a bit old, but I think it's quite cute.

All these people with no bells on their houses?! I have an old school hand bell that I ring for dinner when the family is annoying me, they know to come quick and be nice if the bell is rung! And various Christmas jingle bell type things. I'm still sore that my parents made me give away the cow bell I bought on a holiday in Germany to someone they forgot to buy a present for (or maybe I just have a thing for bells?).

It's just an excuse for noisy fuckers to me noisy. See pan banging, whooping, firework lighting 'clap' for NHS ers.

FFS what's Santa done to deserve that?

Fun for the children, not something I can get worked up about either way really. It doesn't hurt anyone or put anybody else out.

Oh no when everyone was clapping on a Thursday, where I live people started setting off car alarms, fog horns and smashing kitchen pots and pans together... I had forgotten about the clap so the first time it really alarmed me I was also quite surprised at the amount of people who had foghorns readily available

One enterprising soul on our local fb group is selling bells tied with a red ribbon for a fiver. A lot of interest in them too.
Not in this bell-less household.

I’m doing it & I am as cynical as they come & my kids are all grown up & flown the nest. I do have some lovely sleigh bells to use though, no pan banging or air horns from me.

I've been invited to join a group. Don't think we'll do it mainly because I dont own a Bell and my kids are older so dont really care

I've trained the cat to come for his food at the ringing of a bell - he's going to be a bit confused, or think all his Christmases have come at once
(See what I did there?)

I never knew some people taught/said that baby Jesus brought presents - strange one that - a baby leaving gifts - then again a man dressed in a red suit with fur trim and a long white beard is very odd too.

The Elf - omg - idiotic but it keeps some amused, leave them to get on with their 'hilarity' - just don't share it on social media every single day - yawn

I think it sounds quite nice. We're not going to be able to see any family, the way things are carrying on, since our family lives too far away. So it'd be nice to do something different.

I'm not buying bells specifically to ring them though.

I thought this would be about church bells. Our local church wil likely ring the bells anyway, even if a service doesn't happen. The bell room is quite airy, and as long as masks were being worn should be a problem.

I used to be a bell ringer, of the church sort, years ago.

Bell ringing, on the face of it does seem quite sweet and although I wouldn't bother doing it, whoever does partake would not offend me.

However, I'm sure the sound of tinkling bells will be drowned out by the many people who don't have a bell to ring so instead they're setting off fireworks and banging on a pan. Classy

Hahaha no!

I've got a bell - I bought it from an old-fashioned hardware shop when DH had a tonsillectomy so he could summon me from downstairs as he couldn't shout (and it was before mobile phones).

I've not got the inclination to ring it outside though.

Jingle bells should only be tinkly ones like sleigh bells - the sort which go on cat and dog collars would be ideal. Better yet the tiny ones off Lindt reindeer - they'd be perfect: right species, not loud enough to annoy the neighbourhood, and chocolate.

If collective acts of worship are allowed by then, i will be at Mass. if not, hopefully i can find an online Mass, so no.

I have one bell- a large brass ship's bell which hangs on the wall in my kitchen. I won't ring it because of the Pavlovian response it triggers in my children- I'd have four kids lined up and expecting to be fed, which isn't what I'm looking for on Christmas Eve.

Churches don't usually have bells where I live (too windy and population too scattered) so Christmas Eve bells don't happen here normally, but I'm really hoping that our church will reopen for Mass before then. The priests have all worked really hard to maintain a connection during the pandemic, but not being able to gather for worship has been hard.

My Dad once did this for me on Christmas Eve, I still remember it well. I was in bed and I heard bells outside so obviously assumed it was Santa and I felt so excited. Lovely.

I won’t be joining in with this though, I didn’t stand clapping either.

FFS.

I like it. I doubt we'll be able to have our usual carol service so a bit of festivity and togetherness is lovely.