History

• Christmas lights in the form of candles were used in Germany before electricity, and this practice eventually spread to Eastern Europe. Candles were used on trees and placed to illuminate the ornaments hung on the tree branches. They were held in place with melted wax or pins until candle holders were used. By 1915, glass balls and lanterns held candles in place on the trees.
  In 1882, Edward Johnson, Thomas Edison's assistant, lit a tree in New York City using about 80 bulbs. The tree was hand wired with red, blue and white incandescent bulbs the size of walnuts. He invented the first string of electric Christmas lights that were mass produced. In 1895, the first electric Christmas tree in the White House was sponsored by President Grover Cleveland. Christmas lights did not replace candles until about 1930. Albert Sedecca invented safety lights for Christmas trees in 1917. Over time, Christmas lights became common to decorate outdoor trees, homes, porch railings. roofs, gazebos and other town and city buildings.
  
  

Significance

• Christmas lights are also called holiday lights and twinkle lights. They are used to decorate homes, commercial buildings and Christmas trees. While the Christmas season is the most noted time for the lights to be used, the can be used as decoration year-round. They come in a wide variety of styles and colors. Many public outdoor Christmas lights are set by the towns or local organizations. Many people drive or walk around neighborhoods to see the Christmas lights on houses and in towns where they live.
  
  

Differences

• One of the differences between Christmas lights of the past and today's lights is that the lights are now LED lights that use a semi conductor. These lights are very energy efficient compared to the old models. Converting to LED Christmas lights saves about 90 percent on electricity over the older lights. Additionally, they do not get hot, so they do not pose a fire hazard, although they are slightly less bright than older models.
  
  

Types

• Traditional Christmas lights, known as C7 and C9 bulbs, are still popular. They can be used indoors or outdoors. The 25- or 100-foot sets contain replaceable or built-in fuses. They are made of glass and often break if you drop them. Traditionally, they come in a variety of colors with green or white cords. As opposed to several years ago, if one light does not work, it does not affect the entire string. Another type of Christmas light is the mini lights, which are smaller and spaced more closely together than C7 and C9 bulbs. They are small come in variety of bulb and wire colors that wrap around the tree or space you are decorating. They can be more troublesome than the others because sometimes the whole string might not work when one bulb is broken.
  
  

Warning

• Many types of Christmas bulbs contain high levels of lead, which have been linked to health problems in children and adults. Before you buy, you should check the manufacturer and find out how the bulbs are made. Some packages will have a warning about lead, so read the label carefully before buying Christmas lights.