We’re accustomed to thinking of Jingle Bells as a Christmas song. It’s one of those safe, secular pieces that can be performed by public school choruses without offending anyone’s holiday traditions. But news alert—it isn’t a Christmas song at all. It’s a song about sleigh racing on Thanksgiving Day, a popular pastime in 1800’s New England.

The iconic song was originally named “One Horse Open Sleigh,” and its creator, James Lord Pierpont wrote it for children to sing in a Thanksgiving church service. Pierpont was a colorful character who, at age 14, ditched boarding school, signed on with a whaling ship and spent the next ten years at sea. He apparently had a habit of ditching things because, after returning from sea and settling in Massachusetts, he ditched his wife and children and went off in search of gold in California. When that didn’t pan out (no pun intended) he returned home, only to leave his wife once again and head for Savannah Georgia where he became an organist in a Unitarian church pastored by his brother. He eventually became the uncle of the famed banker and financier, John Pierpont Morgan.

There is some dispute about where James Lord Pierpont wrote his famous song. Simpson’s Tavern in Medford, Massachusetts lays claim to it, but the date of publication in 1857 makes Georgia more likely.  

A quick look at the lyrics (below) reveals that the piece has nothing whatsoever to do with Christmas. Instead, it describes the wild fun of picking up girls, racing through the snow, tipping over and getting back in the race. It ends with sage advice about how to come out the winner.

A day or two ago
I thought I’d take a ride
And soon, Miss Fanny Bright
Was seated by my side,
The horse was lean and lank
Misfortune seemed his lot
He got into a drifted bank
And then we got upsot.

[Chorus]

A day or two ago,
The story I must tell
I went out on the snow,
And on my back I fell;
A gent was riding by
In a one-horse open sleigh,
He laughed as there I sprawling lie,
But quickly drove away.

[Chorus]

Now the ground is white
Go it while you’re young,
Take the girls tonight
and sing this sleighing song;
Just get a bobtailed bay
Two forty as his speed
Hitch him to an open sleigh
And crack! you’ll take the lead.

We don’t see much snow on Thanksgiving these days, and that pretty much rules out cross-country sleigh racing as a national pastime. But the custom of racing Thanksgiving Day is still with us, reborn in our era as the Turkey Trot.

The first Turkey Trot was held in Buffalo, New York, on Thanksgiving Day, 1896. Only six runners participated in this five-mile cross-country trek, and only four made it to the finish line. The race in Buffalo continues to this day—even in blizzard conditions—and is the oldest continuous footrace in America, being one year older than the famed Boston Marathon.

The concept spread quickly in the early 1900’s. One of the earliest towns to jump into the race was Berwick, PA in 1908.

Thirteen runners signed up for the first nine-mile run that began at one end of town, continued along Market Street and wound through hilly terrain before ending up back on Market Street. The winner was Harry L. Williams of Berwick who completed the circuit in 59 minutes, 37 seconds.

In the early days, this was an elite race with only the best runners entering. Today, however, it is a people’s event. It follows the same route as it did in 1908, but the number of participants has swelled from 13 to approximately 2,000. Once known as the “Berwick Marathon” the race is known today as “Run for the Diamonds.” A fitting name since winners receive diamonds—diamond rings for the men and diamond pendants for the women.

Then

Now

I enjoyed including the Run for the Diamonds in this Turkey Trot piece because Berwick was my childhood home. I have happy memories of gathering with family and friends on Thanksgiving Day to wait for the runners to appear in the distance and to cheer as they dashed by. To learn more about this event, check out the book: Run for the Diamonds: 100 Years of Footracing in Berwick, Pennsylvania by Mark Will-Weber.