Who Invented Christmas Lights

For most families, outdoor Christmas lights are an essential piece of any holiday display. Add in a Christmas wreath, candy canes, and presents under the tree, and everyone can tell that the holidays are here. But have you ever stopped to think where exactly these iconic symbols of Christmas originally came from?

From candles to high-tech LED Christmas lights and animated RGB lights, we’ve come a long way in how we decorate our trees and homes for the holiday season. But to really understand this cherished tradition, it helps to take a look back and see who exactly invented Christmas lights and why we use them each December. Here, we’re taking a step into the past to learn more about the brightest part of everyone’s holiday display. 

BEFORE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

Christmas has been celebrated for generations—long before the invention of electricity and little twinkling lights. So how did families all over the world light up the holiday season before electricity? Before Christmas lights, candles were the popular choice for seasonal decorations.

Believe it or not, but families all over the world used candles to light up their Christmas trees before electricity. While this most certainly gave those pine branches a soft, beautiful glow, most of us today would probably only see it as a fire hazard. However, for those who still want to recreate that traditional look, you can purchase plastic and clip-on Christmas candles that light up like the real thing.

WHY DO WE USE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS?

Most of us never even second guess hanging Christmas lights all over our homes and trees because we’ve always done it. But why? Why exactly do we use these colorful lights every year and is there a deeper meaning beyond adding a little bit more color to the holiday season?

Like most Christmas traditions, the origin of Christmas lights is closely tied to the history of Christianity. Many believe that Martin Luther, the famed German theologian, was the first to ever illuminate a Christmas tree. Legend claims that, way back in the 16th century, Luther was walking home one winter’s night when he was awestruck by the light of the stars twinkling in the trees around him. To relive this moment, he used candles on an evergreen tree inside his home for his whole family to enjoy. This light is also meant to represent the Star of Bethlehem that guided the three wise men. 

WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS LIGHTS?

While Martin Luther may have started the tradition, we have to credit another famous name for truly making Christmas lights a centerpiece of our modern Christmas displays. In 1880, Thomas Edison, who came up with hundreds of inventions (including the phonograph, alkaline batteries, and the motion picture camera), can also be credited with crafting the first electrical Christmas lights. In this milestone year, he used the lights to decorate his office in Menlo Park.

However, Edison wasn’t working alone. While he may have given us the incandescent bulb, it was his assistant, Edward H. Johnson, who first had the idea to string Christmas lights together in 1882. In the 19th century, however, electricity was still a novelty and rather than expensive. Most people at the time couldn’t afford to buy these new Christmas lights and many were skeptical about electrical bulbs altogether.

Many credit President Grover Cleveland for starting the Christmas light craze in the United States by lighting up the White House Christmas tree with electrical bulbs in 1894. In the coming decades, this new technology would become much more affordable and widespread. By the 1930s and 40s, Christmas lights were simply everywhere and quickly becoming synonymous with our December celebrations.

TYPES OF CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

When Edison first invented Christmas lights, there weren’t a lot of options available (not to mention most families couldn’t afford them for years to come). Luckily, over the years, Christmas lights have become much more affordable and much more versatile to suit the needs of any space—indoors or out. Here are some of the most popular types of Christmas lights you’ll find today:

1. LED Christmas lights

Booming in popularity over recent years, these durable lights have many advantages over traditional bulbs. LED lights last much longer and use far less electricity than incandescent lights. Instead of glass, these lights are made of plastic so there’s less risk of breaking and they’re much easier to store.

2. Mini string lights

One of the most classic models of Christmas lights, mini string lights are perfect for rooftops and trees. Coming in a wide array of colors, these might be the best lights for recreating what Martin Luther saw up in the sky that fateful night.

3. Large-bulb lights

If you’re looking to do more with less, consider large-bulb lights this year. These lights come in various sizes, such as C5, C7, or C9, and cast off a softer glow compared to the twinkly effect of mini string lights.

4. Icicle lights

Even if you’re not having a white Christmas this year, you can create the look with icicle lights. These white lights hang down from your rooftop like real icicles and, since they come in a variety of sizes, can be hung almost anywhere.

5. Animated RGB lights

Want to really light it up this Christmas? Try using the new animated RGB lights. These high-tech lights are fully controllable so you can program their flashing patterns. Some people even set their animated lights to Christmas music for a fully immersive holiday display. 

CONCLUSION – WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS LIGHTS?

As you can see, the history of Christmas lights is a bit more tangled than one might think. From candles to incandescent bulbs to fully automated LED Christmas lights, this symbol of the holiday season has truly come a long way.

However you choose to decorate this Christmas (although we highly suggest avoiding real candles), it’s important to start by picking the right lights for your home, tree, or any other space you’re lighting up with holiday cheer. With indoor to outdoor lights, mini lights to big bulbs, string lights or nets, there’s countless ways to show your creativity this year—it all just comes down to your style and taste.