Bells ring out in Lewes on New Year’s Day

Marianne Zweig braved the New Year’s Day cold to give a warm welcome to 2026, commemorative Lewes 250 bell in hand.

“I wanted to be part of the celebration, the new year, Lewes 250 and support the community. I’ll be ringing the bell at all the events throughout the year,” Zweig said.

Zweig joined a large contingent of bell ringers at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church to kick off the commemoration of the nation’s semiquincentenntial.

At 10 a.m. sharp, the St. Peter’s bell ringers began a bell peal outside on the walkway leading to the church.

A peal is defined as a set of bells tuned to different notes. It is a traditional English way of celebrating an occasion.

The sound overpowered the blustery wind to echo throughout the town.

The ringers then went inside to perform in the sanctuary. The SODELO Brass Quintet also performed.

The Rev. Jeffrey Ross, St. Peter’s rector, and Mary Alice Kelly, Lewes 250 chair, welcomed the standing room-only audience.

Ross gave a brief history of St. Peter’s and the shift it went through 250 years ago.

“In 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was signed and the United States declared itself a nation, that went over very well with the parishioners of this parish, but it did not go over well with the priest, because his salary was paid for by London. The congregation let him know he had to stop praying for the king,” Ross said.

Kelly said the New Year’s Day gathering offered an opportunity to reflect on Lewes’ role in the nation’s history.

“The semiquincentenntial embodies resilience, unity and progress as a nation. Recognizing the anniversary underscores the importance of our shared history and collective development, and the special part Lewes has played,” Kelly said.

For more information and a calendar of Lewes 250 events, go to lewes250.com.