In The Polar Express , the “first gift of Christmas” is a silver sleigh bell cut from one of Santa’s reindeer harnesses and given to the main boy character.

Santa allows the boy to choose any gift in the world, and the boy asks for a single sleigh bell from Santa’s sleigh, which Santa then holds up and declares to be “the first gift of Christmas.” In both the original book and the movie adaptation, the bell symbolizes belief in the magic of Christmas, because only those who truly believe can hear its clear ringing sound.