The  "Carol of the Bells" is becoming popular and based on the Ukrainian New Year's song "Shchedryk".  The folk song was arranged for choir by the Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych, who turned “Shchedryk" into the familiar melody gaining popularity when Kyiv University students performed it in December 1916.
The Ukrainian American Peter J. Wilhousky, wrote new English lyrics in 1936  calling it the "Carol of the Bells"  saying that the song reminded him of the ringing of church bells at Christmas and he changed a few words announcing “Christmas is here.”
The song Shchedryk became almost a national anthem when Ukraine was overrun by the Russian Boscheviks and tragically Leontovych was murdered in 1921.  Now as Ukraine is again suffering under the Russians who compelled Ukraine to celebrate Christmas on  7th January instead of 25th December, many Ukrainians will be celebrating on the same day as many Christians in the world.  This article is very interesting about the carol.

Ding dong ding dong ding
Ding dong ding dong ding
Ding dong ding dong ding
Ding dong ding dong ding
Ding dong ding dong ding
Hark how the bells
Sweet silver bells
All seem to say
Throw cares away
Christmas is here
Bringing good cheer
To young and old
Meek and the bold
Ding, dong, ding, dong
That is their song
With joyful ring
All caroling
One seems to hear
Words of good cheer
From ev'rywhere
Filling the air
Ding dong ding dong ding
Oh how they pound
Raising the sound
O'er hill and dale
Telling their tale
Gaily they ring
While people sing
Songs of good cheer
Christmas is here
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas
Hark how the bell
Sweet silver bells
All seem to say
Throw cares away
Christmas is here
Bringing good cheer
To young and old
Meek and the bold
Ding, dong, ding, dong
That is their song
With joyful ring
All caroling
One seems to hear
Words of good cheer
From ev'rywhere
Filling the air
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas
On on they send
On without end
Their joyful tone to every home
Ding dong ding dong ding
Ding dong ding dong ding
Christmas is here
Bringing good cheer
To young and old
Meek and the bold
Ding dong ding dong ding
That is their song
With joyful ring


Carol 8