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Roseville, Calif.- The ringing bells and Red Kettles of the Salvation Army volunteers in front of countless locations during the holiday season is a tradition with roots in San Francisco’s Bay Area that began in the 19th century. 

The Salvation Army bell ringing is now an iconic symbol of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays throughout the United States and many parts of the world. 


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Yet, until this year, I was sadly and profoundly indifferent to the Salvation Army’s history and the full purpose of the bell ringing.

On a recent weekend, our family had an opportunity to ring the bell in front of a local supermarket in Roseville. We had a terrific time and noticed the people that gave, young and old alike exhibited an abundance of cheer and joy. 

After turning to the Internet to do further research on the Salvation Army, we came away more encouraged and look forward to supporting those Red Kettles with cheer and joy whenever we hear those ringing bells of the Salvation Army.

For others who may share our lack of knowledge, we’ve posted “The Red Kettle History” along with a link to learn more about the Salvation Army.

In 1891, Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee was distraught because so many poor individuals in San Francisco were going hungry. During the holiday season, he resolved to provide a free Christmas dinner for the destitute and poverty-stricken. He only had one major hurdle to overcome — funding the project.

Where would the money come from, he wondered. He lay awake nights, worrying, thinking, praying about how he could find the funds to fulfill his commitment of feeding 1,000 of the city’s poorest individuals on Christmas Day. As he pondered the issue, his thoughts drifted back to his sailor days in Liverpool, England. He remembered how at Stage Landing, where the boats came in, there was a large, iron kettle called “Simpson’s Pot” into which passers-by tossed a coin or two to help the poor. The next day Captain McFee placed a similar pot at the Oakland Ferry Landing at the foot of Market Street. Beside the pot, he placed a sign that read, “Keep the Pot Boiling.” He soon had the money to see that the needy people were properly fed at Christmas.

Six years later, the kettle idea spread from the west coast to the Boston area. That year, the combined effort nationwide resulted in 150,000 Christmas dinners for the needy. In 1901, kettle contributions in New York City provided funds for the first mammoth sit-down dinner in Madison Square Garden, a custom that continued for many years. Today in the U.S., The Salvation Army assists more than four-and-a-half million people during the Thanksgiving and Christmas time periods.

Captain McFee’s kettle idea launched a tradition that has spread not only throughout the United States, but all across the world. Kettles are now used in such distant lands as Korea, Japan, Chile and many European countries. Everywhere, public contributions to Salvation Army kettles enable the organization to continue its year-round efforts at helping those who would otherwise be forgotten.

Learn more about the Salvation Army at https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/

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