What Is The Tradition Of Holiday Lights?
We don't really feel like it's the holiday season until those lights are up and the tree is decorated. The process of getting the lights out, planning how they will hang and getting the last strand up is like a switch fully turning us over into the holiday spirit. But have you ever wondered why we deck the halls and trim the tree? Here is the tradition of holiday lights to make the season more magical.
It All Started With Germans
We can thank Germany for the holiday light tradition. In the 17th century, it was a modest start to the light display we try to outdo our neighbors with now, as simple candles were placed throughout the tree using a type of pin or held together with wax. You might remember your grandparents having a tree with candles on the branches, showing the tradition is still alive and well. A couple of centuries would go by with Germany still putting candles on trees, but other Eastern European countries would catch on.
Why Candles?
Candles were pretty much the only light source other than the sun at that time, so they used what they had. The candles would light up the tree so you could see the ornaments when it got dark. Is this familiar? How many of us keep our Christmas tree on all night to see how brilliant the ornaments look?
But it is also a nod to the ancient worship of the Winter Solstice using candles and fire, which is what some people say is the start of the Christmas light tradition we still do today.
When Things Went Electric
Edward Johnson was the creator of the first tree lighting in New York. Hand-wired strands of lights in colors of red, white and blue to symbolize our flag were strewn about the Christmas tree in New York in 1882.
It would be another few years before people could purchase these strands of lights, with the first string ready to be taken home in 1890. The extremely expensive price tag-the equivalent of $80 for a strand today-made it a luxury for few. General Electric came up with the bright idea to rent these lights. By 1903 you could rent Christmas lights in ruby, blue, opal, purple, green, frosted and clear.
When Lights Went Outside
Christmas lights didn't make their way outside until 1927 when outdoor light strings and bulbs were made available. These days, over 150 million sets of lights go home with a family every year, meaning there are plenty of elves out there making spirits bright.
The Tradition of Lights Today
These days, whenever you want to put your holiday lights up is your choice, with some people wanting to only put lights on the Christmas tree to keep the original tradition alive and some wanting to cover every inch of their home in lights.
One important holiday light fact to note is that in the 1990s, a new style of light called LED was introduced. If you don't use this style, you might want to, as the cost savings on the electric bill are pretty impressive. You could leave those on as long as you wanted without feeling guilty.
From the Winter Solstice to Clark Griswold-level outdoor holiday decorating, Christmas lights are a pretty big part of why we love the season so much. Driving around and looking at the lights in the neighborhood or feeling your heart happy when you get home from work and see your own gives us that warm holiday feeling. And all these years later and the holiday lights still make us smile.
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