History Main / SnowySleighBells

** The beautiful theme played in the wintry [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieapBou_3cs Snowman]] in ''VideoGame/EarthboundBeginnings'' has sleigh bells playing through the track. It's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1Md2ODg-0M remix]] from ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'' kept them as well.
** ''VideoGame/{{Earthbound}}'' has the theme music for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UtKQ4InhUE Winters,]] where Jeff and his father reside.

* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'': Sleigh bells are pretty rare in the series in comparison to the number of stages themed on cold and ice over the years, more often opting for chimes or electric guitar. However, they do exist:

** The bells can be heard in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvLNHF-kcHU "Twinkle Snow Zone Act 1"]] in ''[[VideoGame/SonicAdvanceSeries Sonic Advance 3]]'' but is absent in Acts 2 and 3.

** The ''depressing'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRKvvVJ-gGE theme]] from the destroyed, Christmas-themed Hollijolli Village from ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiPartnersInTime'' features sleigh bells.

** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmVtFr8Ri4I cheery theme]] played during the ice bowling mini-game in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' has upbeat sleigh bells.

These little bells were first used on horse-drawn vehicles to warn bypassers about the arrival of the carriage and most importantly the sleighs (hence the name), as the vehicle would otherwise make no sound at all. The relation between these bells and sleighs might be the origin of this trope and is the premise of the most famous Christmas song of them all: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jingle_Bells Jingle Bells]].

* ''Manga/OnePiece'': [[https://youtu.be/aNrW_0QqIT0 Twinkle Twinkle]], an ImageSong sung by Chopper, has these, mostly during the [[BookEnds intro and outro]] and during the chorus.

* The frozen Forest Folly's track "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHxCaid4z8U Freezy Breezie]]" in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze'' has some discrete sleigh bells ringing throughout the song.

* ''VideoGame/{{Harmoknight}}'' has [[https://youtu.be/ftqA4-f9OYE "A Frosty Reception & Winter Wonderland"]]. The world it plays in is even ''named'' "Sleighbell Slopes", and some of the enemies there are even shaped like sleigh bells!

** ''VideoGame/{{Earthbound}}'' has the theme music for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UtKQ4InhUE Winters]], where Jeff and his father reside.

** ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' has "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_eeA-PQmiM Snowy Mountain]]," though it's not used to set the rhythm and is mainly there for flavor.
** The bells can be heard in "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvLNHF-kcHU Twinkle Snow Zone Act 1]]" in ''[[VideoGame/SonicAdvanceSeries Sonic Advance 3]]'' but is absent in Acts 2 and 3.

** Used as the primary percussion instrument in ''VideoGame/SonicLostWorld'''s Frozen Factory stages, as can be heard in "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l1HUDuzyrk Frozen Factory Zone 1]]" and "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-b_1yfJU0g Snowball Waltz]]."

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE2lGLh2Y84 Snow Land]], from ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DLand'' and its [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGSnbOVj9Tk remix]] from ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'' are very upbeat wintery tracks, and sleigh bells are the only percussion instrument that is used.

* Sleigh bells are used in the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri5RiZw0RQM Penguin Slide theme]], the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VquLba1wVM Snowball Fight theme]] and the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEiorSf4WSQ Core Luge theme]] from the ''VideoGame/WiiFit'' series, since all these activities are heavily related to winter and ice.
* ''VideoGame/YoshisWoollyWorld'''s [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMl6TWZMrbU A Little Light Snowfall]], as well as the frozen World 5's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6ZHlGqgy-c map theme]] both are rhythmed by jingle bells.

* Video game music analyst Jake Butineau has a video discussing this trope: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URnNcXvn5K4 "Why I Hate Winter Level Music"]]. He argues that the "Instant winter, just add sleigh bells!" approach has been overused to the point of cliche, and feels that VG musicians are ignoring all the ''other'' ways they could evoke the mood of winter.

* The musical comic [[http://brawlinthefamily.keenspot.com/comic/388-ice-world/ Ice World]] from ''Webcomic/BrawlInTheFamily'' is a "celebration" of {{Slippy Slidey Ice World}}s which is, you guessed it, rhythmed by sleigh bells.

** As one could expect, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhc9gtE-FY4 Wonderland of Snow]], the theme playing during the title card of [[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS3E6SnowballEffectOneKrabsTrash Snowball Effect]]'', as well as the theme playing during the montage of a snow-covered Bikini Bottom both feature very prominent sleigh bells.

* The digital implementation of [[TabletopGame/TicketToRide]] unsurprisingly has very prominent sleigh bells in the music playing when having a game on the Nordic Countries based on Scandinavia.

* The digital implementation of [[TabletopGame:TicketToRide]] unsurprisingly has very prominent sleigh bells in the music playing when having a game on the Nordic Countries based on Scandinavia.

* In ''VideoGame/BigFunInFurbyland'', the remix of Creator/JohannesBrahms' "Hungarian Dance n°5" that plays during the wintry second level on ''In the Clouds'' has discrete snowbells rythming the song.

* ''Manga/OnePiece'' [[https://youtu.be/aNrW_0QqIT0 Twinkle Twinkle]], an ImageSong sung by Chopper, has these, mostly during the [[BookEnds intro and outro]] and during the chorus.

* In ''Anime/LoveLive'', sleigh bells are heard in "Snow Halation".

[[folder:Animated Films]]

* ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'' has Phendrana Drifts, an icy desolate landscape with music that doesn't really sound like Christmas but does indeed feature sleigh bells.

* The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhuT9QoWWgk theme]] that plays during Bayonetta's last-minute Christmas shopping spree in ''VideoGame/Bayonetta2'' is rythmed by sleigh bells.

Incredibly common in SlippySlideyIceWorld levels in video games, as well as in ChristmasSongs. Sometimes also featured in more grim winter-based settings where it's more likely to evoke a dogsled than SantaClaus.

For more musical location associations, see JungleJazz, WaltzOnWater, and RegionalRiff.

* ''VideoGame/OneHundredPercentOrangeJuice''
** Aru's theme has a lot of sleigh bells in it. Fitting, as she's the world's Santa.

** The theme playing in the snowy [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUT6OtEiy6Q Valley of Repose]] in ''VideoGame/Pikmin2'' features sleigh bells as its percussion instrument.
** An easy-to-miss example hails from ''[[VideoGame/{{Pikmin}} Hey! Pikmin]]'''s Snowfall Field third level, during which Olimar and Flying Pikmins snowboard down a mountain: each time a Pikmin breaks a layer of the giant snowball that tumbles down with them, sleigh bells do ring.
* Heard in the music track for the arctic locations in ''VideoGame/PizzaFrenzy''.
* The beautiful [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWK7L-XzRcY music]] that plays in the icy Snowbelle City in ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'' features a sleigh bells in at the beginning and the middle of the song.

* Sleigh bells are pretty rare in the ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' series in comparison to the number of stages themed on cold and ice over the years, more often opting for chimes or electric guitar. However, they do exist:

%%The examples on this page have been ordered alphabetically. Please add new examples in order. Thank you.

* Used in "Little Saint Nick" by Music/TheBeachBoys, unsurprisingly. But Creator/BrianWilson loved sleigh bells and used them in a bunch of non-Christmassy Beach Boys songs as well.

* Used in "Little Saint Nick" by Music/TheBeachBoys, but Brian Wilson loved sleigh bells and used them in a bunch of non-Christmassy Beach Boys songs as well.

* Evoked in the opening of "Sleigh Ride" : "Just hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring-ting-tingling, too..." Also a big feature of the original orchestral version by Leroy Anderson.