"Sleigh Ride" was originally a purely instrumental orchestral piece composed by Leroy Anderson in 1948, with no lyrics at all. Mitchell Parish added the words ("Just hear those sleigh bells jingling...") two years later in 1950. The lyrics don't mention Christmas even once. They describe a general winter scene: snow, sleigh bells, a fire at the end of the ride. It became a holiday staple purely through cultural association, not because the song has anything to do with Christmas.
"Sleigh Ride" was originally a purely instrumental orchestral piece composed by Leroy Anderson in 1948, with no lyrics at all. Mitchell Parish added the words ("Just hear those sleigh bells jingling...") two years later in 1950. The lyrics don't mention Christmas even once. They describe a general winter scene: snow, sleigh bells, a fire at the end of the ride. It became a holiday staple purely through cultural association, not because the song has anything to do with Christmas.