History of christmas lights

Christmas lights are a big part of the festive season. Houses, shops and even the streets are adorned with Christmas lights from early December through to January. Everywhere looks so much nicer lit up with Christmas lights that it is always a sad day when they have to be taken down for another year. Gathering around the Christmas tree to decorate it is one of the biggest traditions that many families have. It is a much anticipated event that children in particular look forward to.

The tradition goes back a long way. Before even electricity was invented, lit candles would be used in the trees. As far back as the seventeenth century candles were attached to the tree with the use of melted candle wax. It wasn’t long before candle holders were used in place of the candle wax. It is not surprising that tree fires were common! It was the latest nineteenth century when the idea of the electric Christmas light was thought of. The assistant of Thomas Edison was the person to think of the soon to be Christmas phenomenon. The idea caught on fast and soon everyone was selling electric Christmas lights. In 1917 a new safety light was produced for the use in Christmas trees following a serious and tragic house fire caused by electric lights. It is these safety lights that have been commonly used all over the world since then.

Today there are Christmas lights sold and used across the world. A recent trend has been towards LED lights as a replacement to the traditional filament bulb. These are not only brighter and safer, but they are kinder on the environment as they use less electricity. This also makes them cheaper on the pocket too and they last a lot longer than traditional bulbs. They are becoming the most popular choice certainly when it comes to all types of fairy light and Christmas light decoration.

Anyone wishing to display lights outdoors over Christmas need to purchase a very particular kind of light – one that is designed for outside. The wind, rain and harsh elements will mean any light strung up outside needs to be designed just for this purpose and it is very dangerous to use indoor lights, outdoors. If you are interested in having a large outdoor display then you need to consider things such as wattage available and where there are sockets available. It can be a real problem if your lights keep tripping because there is too much strain on the amount of electricity available in the home.

Battery Christmas lights are fantastic because they can be displayed absolutely anywhere, regardless of whether or not there is an electricity socket nearby or not. Whether it is Christmas tree or general fairy lights to be displayed in the home you are looking for, buying in bulk or buying online can save you a lot of money. Make sure you know what exactly it is you need first so you end up with the right number and types of light.