The National Bell Festival is an annual New Year's Day celebration in the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the festival coordinates mass bell ringing events to "ring in the New Year" and organizes a festival of free experiences related to bell making, restoration, ringing, and appreciation.[1]
National annual event edit
The first National Bell Festival was held on New Year's Day 2020, with bell ringing events planned in major cities across the United States.[2] It has since grown to include programming around the world which, during the 2024 festival, reached all seven continents with the addition of a special bell ringing program in Antarctica.[3]
The two-day festival begins on New Year's Eve with the 'Ring around the World' event, starting with bell towers nearest the international date line (typically, New Zealand and Australia).[4] At midnight local time, carillonists perform an arrangement of "Auld Lang Syne." This continues around the world as midnight reaches subsequent time zones. Many performances are recorded and live streamed.
On the following day, New Year's Day, there is a moment for nationwide bell ringing. All are invited to participate by ringing bells at their local churches, community centers, parks, and memorials. In the United States, this occurs annually at 2:00pm Eastern. Carillon performances, change ringing peals, and handbell concerts contribute to the sound.[5][6]
Other events allow the public unique access to bells and bell towers, often combined with programming commemorating moments of national significance or importance. Recent programming includes:
- Installing a 226-year-old hanshō, a Japanese temple bell, at the U.S. National Arboretum on Jan. 1, 2024.[7][8]
- Marking 160 years since the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation by tolling a 160-year-old bell on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Jan. 1, 2023.[9]
- Commemorating the 200th birthday of Harriet Tubman by ringing a bell 200 times at the Military Women's Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery on Jan. 1, 2022.[10][11]
Spotlight nation edit
Each year, the National Bell Festival focuses attention on the bell ringing and bell making heritage of a different nation around the globe by researching, translating, and publishing information on regionally-specific campanological traditions. Past spotlight nations include:
The goal of the project is to promote cross-cultural understanding while also demonstrating how bell ringing is a shared human experience across linguistic, regional, and political divides.
Organization and other activities edit
The National Bell Festival is coordinated by the National Bell Festival, Inc., an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) organization with the stated mission of celebrating and restoring bells in the United States. To advance this mission, the National Bell Festival: invests in the care and restoration of heritage bells and bell towers; commissions the casting of new bells and installations; and researches, records, and reports on campanology.[14][15][16]
References edit
- ^ "National Bell Festival". www.bells.org. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
- ^ Feldman, Jess (2019-12-20). "DC's inaugural National Bell Festival to take place New Year's Day". Northern Virginia Magazine. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
- ^ "Global chimes: 2024 National Bell Festival rings across seven continents this New Year - Travel And Tour World". 2023-12-28. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
- ^ "Ringing in the New Year". Bathurst Region Tourism. 2021-12-28. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
- ^ Magyarics, Kelly (2020-12-22). "Ring in the New Year (literally) with the National Bell Festival". Northern Virginia Magazine. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
- ^ "National Bell Festival Carillon Concert". National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
- ^ "How a nonprofit plans to preserve the sound of an ancient Japanese bell in DC". WTOP News. 2024-01-02. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
- ^ "Ringing in the New Year, Literally". National Bonsai Foundation. 2024-01-01. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
- ^ "'The Emancipation Bells' — a 65-bell tower and community center planned for SE DC". WTOP News. 2023-01-02. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
- ^ "Videos". FOX 5 DC. 2022-01-05. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
- ^ Owens, Donna M. (2022-02-10). "A legacy of hope: Celebrating Harriet Tubman's 200th birthday in Maryland and beyond". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
- ^ "Japan | National Bell Festival". www.bells.org. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
- ^ "United Kingdom | National Bell Festival". www.bells.org. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
- ^ Nellis, Nycci. "National Bell Festival". www.thelistareyouonit.com. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
- ^ "People for the Steeple | Georgetown Lutheran Church". www.georgetownlutheran.com. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
- ^ "Historic bell missing, believed to be stolen, from South Jersey firehouse". 6abc Philadelphia. 2023-10-18. Retrieved 2024-02-26.