The lighting of the Christmas tree has been a holiday tradition ever since the first tree was decorated indoors—at least as far as we know. Up until the 1930s, however, Christmas tree lights were real fire and candles. Naturally, this wasn’t the safest practice, as placing a lit flame just centimeters from a rapidly drying evergreen tree was a fire hazard. When electric lights came along, it didn’t take long for the public to embrace them, especially once they became affordable.
The Birth of Christmas Lights
The actual inventor of the first Christmas tree lights is mildly disputed. Edward H. Johnson, an associate of Thomas Edison, is often credited with the creation of the first Christmas lights. However, some people credit Edison himself, stating that Johnson only made the request for the lights. Either way, the invention of Christmas lights is attributed to their collaborative efforts.
As with any new technological advancement, Christmas lights were initially quite expensive. Local newspapers were skeptical about the lights, dismissing them as a mere publicity stunt created by the inventors. However, the more progressive Detroit newspaper jumped on the story, and Christmas lights quickly became the new, much safer craze of the year. Though initially cost-prohibitive, they were admired by onlookers at Edward H. Johnson’s home. He became known as the “Father of Electric Christmas Tree Lights” and continued to light up his Christmas tree for the rest of his life.
The following year, businesses eagerly embraced the idea of lining their storefront windows with electric lights. The original set on Johnson’s tree featured large red, white, and blue solid lights. Businesses wanted something different, and soon orders were placed for variations of the original lights, including solid white. In 1895, Grover Cleveland proudly displayed the first electrically lit Christmas tree in the White House.
From 1900 until 1930, Christmas lights remained primarily a business phenomenon. Aside from a few wealthy individuals, most households did not use them. However, as the price of Christmas lights began to fall, more and more families swapped their candle-lit trees for electric ones. These lights were initially used indoors, but in 1904, someone in San Diego hung the first outdoor Christmas lights on a tree. New York followed suit in 1912. McAdenville, North Carolina, is officially credited with creating the tradition of stringing outdoor lights around evergreen trees in 1956, although this is widely disputed, as other towns were also known to have started the practice that same year.
The rise of Christmas lights has undoubtedly led to the tradition we know and love today. People spend anywhere from hours to months stringing lights, entering contests, and visiting lighting wonderlands. Christmas lights illuminate the darkest month of the year with joyful exuberance and creative expression, creating an atmosphere that makes a difference in any neighborhood. There’s something magical about taking a late evening walk in December, passing by homes and businesses intricately decorated with lights. Nothing expresses Christmas spirit quite like a neighborhood of elegantly decorated homes, with tasteful lights strung beautifully throughout.
Of course, with the decision to put up Christmas lights, one must also recognize the importance of taking them down. If someone can’t be bothered to take down their Christmas lights until mid-July, it may be worth reconsidering whether they should be put up in the first place. In some areas, there are even ordinances requiring Christmas lights to be taken down by late January.
For some, Christmas lighting has become an art form. Contests often encourage people to fully participate in the practice of tree lighting. After months of hard work and spending hundreds to thousands of dollars, people can create masterpieces that light up entire city blocks. When it comes to lighting up a tree or home for Christmas, the only limit is one’s imagination.