As Christmas approach , million of Americans will partake in the annual tradition of draw tangled snarls of luminance out of their closet and draping them over roof , across walls , and through the bough of trees . The nearly 150 - year - old history of how these mass - produce novelty lights became a vacation mend is a distinctly American Christmas tale .
The First Christmas Lights
Americans have lit up Christmas trees since the early 19th century [ PDF]—long before the innovation of the advanced light electric-light bulb . In those sidereal day , kinsperson would decorate tree in their living elbow room and then attach fire candles to the branches . Unsurprisingly , this create a serious fire chance . For safety reason , families would gather around to light the candles one meter each year for at most an hr , usually while standing by with pails of weewee and grip of guts to douse the flames if the display got out of handwriting . Still , accidents were so everyday that by 1908 , a group of American insurers began turn down to ante up claims link up to Christmas tree fires .
In 1879,Thomas Edisonhad just hone the world ’s first virtual light bulb and was in the middle of an all - out medium blitz to institute care to his new ware . On New Year ’s Eve , he draw G of masses to his lab in Menlo Park , New Jersey , where , according toForbes , he testify off his new invention with “ a alive outdoor display with gobs of incandescent lamps string up together”—what some call the humans ’s first string lights .
But Christmas and string of electrical light would n’t be connect together for three more age . On December 22 , 1882 , Edward H. Johnson — animpressively mustachioedinventor and vice President of the United States at the Edison Electric Light Company — jell up a holiday - theme video display in his Manhattan home to demonstrate the mantrap of galvanic luminance : 80 twinkling cherry , white , and drear bulb strung between the bough of a large Christmas tree , which he mounted on a rotating platform in his life room .
A reporter from theDetroit Post & Tribunecould barely contain hisenthusiasmfor the “ fantastic tree diagram with its starry yield ” and the novel lights “ encased in these dainty glass eggs”—his quondam - timey way of describing the multicolored bulbs . “ One could hardly opine anything prettier , ” he wrote .
Let There Be Light
The publicity stunt overtake the country ’s attention , and by 1890 General Electric had commence make up electric Christmas lights . But in the early years , only the rich could afford them . To deploy the igniter , you needed to bribe a generator or barrage to put up exponent , andthenyou ask to pay off a train “ wirer ” to individually wire each bulb . decorate a family could cost as much as $ 300 — about $ 9000 today . According to adissertationon Christmas igniter by Kerri Dean , the expensive luminance became the “ passion amongst the moneyed , ” and “ Christmas tree parties to show off the expensive galvanizing dismount tree diagram became exciting societal events for children of in high spirits society . ”
As technology ameliorate , Christmas lights got cheaper and dependable . The other versions burned so hot they could still cause fires , but technical advances began making the bulb safer . In 1903 , department storehouse begin carrying pre - pumped up strings of eight lights for a hefty $ 12 , more than $ 300 in today ’s one dollar bill . Families who could n’t afford to buy a string of Light Within instantaneously could pull one for the season for $ 1.50 — about $ 40 today . By 1914 , a chain of lightscostjust $ 1.75 , and by the ‘ 20s Christmas lights wereaffordablefor most Americans .
The White House played a major role in promoting the new trend across the nation . In 1894 , Grover Cleveland became the first President of the United States to keep Christmas with electrical lights , in all probability toimpresshis two young daughters . The tree , according toThe Wheeling Register , was“very beautifully bring down and decorated with tiny parti - colored galvanising lamps in situation of the old - time wax candles . ” Cleveland ’s display featured 100 multicolored bulbs — but it was dwarfed by Calvin Coolidge ’s extravaganza of 3000 lights on Christmas in 1923 .
An Electric Idea
But the Christmas brightness custom owes most of its success to electric ship’s company , who saw the vacation vogue as an opportunity to sell lighting product . An undated folder style “ All the World ’s a point at Christmas and All the the great unwashed on it are Lighting Prospects ” pushed the mind that holiday illumination displays were the industry ’s best sales pitch . “ The world at Christmas sentence is the background for a brave , spectacular extravaganza , ” the pamphlet declared , and on the Christmas stage “ there are quantities of lamps to be sold , Christmas lighting equipment , wiring . There are kilowatt - hours to be sell . Lighting this stage is profitable business for the electrical industriousness . ”
The advertizement campaign act upon , and the thirties became a rebirth for funky Christmas twinkle designs . NOMA produced brightness level in the frame of clowns , witches , and Santa Claus . Over the year , promiscuous designs changed with American gustatory modality . The ‘ 40ssawa craze of Bubble Lites , shaped like the cd families used to illuminate their trees with . The heat from the electric light in each illumination would churn a liquid inside the candle - shaped plastic mould , causing the lights to flicker like real flame .
In the ‘ 60s , the Christmas lighter diligence search on in consternation as Americans cut down in love with aluminum tree , which are alas just conductors of electricity . Faulty Christmas lights could burden aluminum trees with electrical energy andzapthe next person to touch a branch . Since traditional string lights were potentially lethal on a metal tree , families switched to rotating color wheel or else . This , combined with stiff competition from foreign manufacturers , led NOMA to file for failure in 1966 .
The classic mini idle purpose — the familiar incandescent lights in tube-shaped - shaped bulbs that come on constantly tangled green wire — wasfirst soldin 1970 . They ’ve dominated the Christmas light market until the recent acclivity of LED light , whichusebetween 80 and 90 percent less electrical energy and can cost 1 to 2 percentage as much to power .
While Christmas tree diagram lights have take many forms over the preceding century , the tradition of get behind a dead tree into our living room and setting it aglow has remained a unknown fixture of American culture . Just thank Edward H. Johnson for rationalise your risk of lighting your sign on flak this year .
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A version of this story originally ran in 2017 ; it has been update for 2024 .
