Here are some 7 fun facts about Christmas lights that most people are not aware of –
1. First Christmas Lights Were Candle
Believe it or not, it was a widespread practice among people in the 18th century to use candles to light up their Christmas trees. Did they look pretty? Of course, they did but what about the fire hazard? Well, people in those days may have considered it a part of the holiday charm. To be frank with you all – back then, the concept of fire safety was almost an afterthought. They were well aware of the fact that using candles on a Christmas tree meant an elevated chances of fire hazards but they took their chances nonetheless just to keep the festive spirit alive.
2. Edward Johnson Changed Christmas Light Tradition For Ever
Things changed dramatically in the 1880s. Thomas Edison patented the light bulb in 1880 and it changed everything people knew about Christmas light decorations. He and his colleague Edward H. Johnson came up with a brilliant idea to decorate Christmas trees with their patented light bulbs. Edward H. Johnson took it upon himself and strung together 80 red, white and blue bulbs and wrapped them around a tree in New York City. He did not even stop it there; he took it further and placed the trunk of that tree on a revolving pedestal. It was a spectacle like no one had ever seen before. Reporters gathered around that tree and the dazzling display and a new Christmas light decoration trend was born.
On January 27, 1880, Thomas Edison received the historic patent embodying the principles of his incandescent lamp that paved the way for the universal domestic use of electric light.
https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/thomas-edisons-patent-application-for-the-light-bulb
3. Christmas Lights Weren’t Always Affordable
In those earlier days, Christmas lights were to pretty to behold but they were darn expensive. A 16-bulb string of electric lights could cost a jaw-dropping $12 in those days. Sounds cheap, right? Well, you forgot to take into account inflation. Those $12 would be somewhere around $350 in today’s money. However, things changed for the better when President Grover Cleveland decided to decorate the White House tree with 100 electric bulbs in 1894 and thus helping the trend gain tractions among common people. Mass production started soon after and the price took a nosedive shortly after. By 1914, the price of Christmas lights dropped to $1.75 for a string, which is quite affordable even by today’s standards.
3. Christmas Lights Use A Lot of Power
Most people are unaware of the fact that holiday lights account for a massive 6% of the U.S. electrical load every December. In the United States alone, 150 million light sets get sold every single year. Now, imagine how much energy those lights consume during the festive season when they start blinking in 80 million homes throughout the United States. However, it is a fact that most households in the USA have already switched to LED Christmas lights that tend to consume less energy than traditional incandescent Christmas lights.
Today an estimated 150 million light sets are sold in America each year, adding to the tangled millions stuffed into boxes each January. They light 80 million homes and consume 6 percent of the nation’s electrical load each December.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/untangling-history-christmas-lights-180961140/
4. The World’s Largest Christmas Light Display
When it comes to Christmas Lights, the bigger, the better, right? Of course, it is! There is not an iota of doubt about it. Wanna witness the majestic grandeur of the largest Christmas lights display on the planet earth? Head over to Grove City, Ohio and you will get to see the largest Christmas light display at the National Grove of Lights. That place is graced by a jaw-dropping 3 million lights and as expected, it draws visitors from all over the country. It is truly a sight to behold. So, do make a plan to visit this spectacular place in the upcoming festive season.
5. Record for Most Lights on a Single Tree
500,000 Christmas lights on a single tree! Yeah, you are reading it right. However, it is not just about the numbers rather it is the impact it is having on the public. This spectacular display does help bring joy to everyone around it. The tree that adorns those 500,000 Christmas lights is a massive one – an enormous 200 feet tall. Allow me to put this thing in perspective – most households in the United States use around 300 lights for a 6 to 8 feet tall tree.
6. The Longest Strand of Christmas Lights
We all know the struggle of untangling a 25-foot-long strand of Christmas lights once the holiday season nears. Now, imagine untangling a light strand that is 5 miles in length. Unbelievable, right? A group of people in Australia decided to break the world record for the longest strand of Christmas lights in 2009 and they managed to do it. They strung together hundreds or even thousands of strands of lights hung across trees and buildings in Albany, Western Australia. However, the purpose of this stunt was to raise money for charity.
7. The Most Popular Colors for Christmas Lights
Christmas lights are available in myriad of colors and shapes but strangely, the best-selling colors are still white and red. There is something about this color combination that keeps drawing people in year after year. Yellow, green and blue colors are also quite popular but if you want to keep things traditional, you simply can’t go wrong with this time-tested white and red color combination.