Most of us grew up surrounded by beautiful Christmas lights, and we all loved every bit of them. The time of the Christmas holidays is enchanting, and when the holidays roll in, there can’t be anything better than the beautiful lights and setting that accelerate the feel of Christmas. There won’t be Christmas without lights, and it certainly doesn’t feel like the joy of festivity. Do you know from where and how these Christmas lights evolved and how they have come this far? Let us explore the bright history of the beautiful Christmas lights.
Yule lights on Christmas during 1184
Lights have been representing the festivities of the winter season. It began with the celebration of Yule. A Yule log was used for the feel of festivity, and it was believed that it shunned away all the negativity and evil spirits during the longer nights of winter. Yule traditions became a part of the festivities, and people started lighting Yule logs on the eve of Christmas, which became common during the 19th century. Other things to be included were Christingle, Candlemas, and Luminaria.
The Yule log, Yule clog, or Christmas block is a specially selected log burnt on a hearth as a winter tradition in regions of Europe, and subsequently North America. The origin of the folk custom is unclear. Like other traditions associated with Yule (such as the Yule boar), the custom may ultimately derive from Proto-Indo-European religion as similar traditions have been recorded in Celtic, Germanic, Baltic and Slavic paganism, among others.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yule_log
From candles to traditionally lighted Christmas trees (1660)
It started with the placement of candles on the Christmas trees. Pennsylvania Dutch, in 1747 approached with “lichstock” Christmas trees that was first of its kind then. It was represented as a huge wooden pyramid that was decorated with candles. Charles Follen (Harvard professor), in 1832, after getting inspired by the Dutch, came up with the idea of traditional Christmas lights.
Early development of the LEDs
The 1960s: The first form of LED was developed by Nick Holonyak Jr. in 1962 while he was busy working with General Electric. LEDs were primarily used as indicators in electronic devices and were available only in red.
While working at General Electric, on Oct. 9, 1962, Holonyak demonstrated the first visible-light-emitting diode. While infrared LEDs previously had been made of the material gallium arsenide, Holonyak created crystals of gallium arsenide phosphide to make an LED that would emit a visible red light.
https://ece.illinois.edu/newsroom/51161
1970s-1980s
With time, LEDs started taking different shapes and were available in multiple colors, such as yellow, green, and blue. However, these LED lights were still not bright enough to be utilized in Christmas trees and for Christmas lighting. Also, they were expensive and were only purchased by some.
The advent of the White LEDs
The 1990s: LED lights got a breakthrough when they came into the picture in the 1990s. Blue LEDs were used with a phosphor coating, and that emitted a remarkably bright light. From this stage, the use of LEDs became more versatile and it started being used for multiple applications and that primarily focused on the Christmas holiday lighting. When compared with incandescent bulbs, LEDs always consume less energy. It also had a longer lifespan and was a preferable choice for buyers who focused on environmental conservation.
Commercial availability of LEDs
2000s
It was the early half of the 2000s when the LED lights used as Christmas lighting started entering the market. In the first round, they were believed to be more expensive than other traditional lights for Christmas, such as incandescent lights. However, more benefits on the energy efficiency part and prolonged usability factor made them a preferable and popular choice among the buyers of Christmas lights.
How LEDs became popular?
The cost of these lights decreased with a boost in technology, and that’s how they started getting their share of popularity in the consumer market. They were popular because of their durability and less risk of catching fire, as they were believed to generate less heat. Lower energy bills were among other positive factors of using LED lights for Christmas.
Environmental impact and ‘push’ by the Government
Many governments in different parts of the world started campaigning for the switch from traditional Christmas lights to LED lights. Incentives and notable public awareness programs made a mark, and people liked the idea of Christmas lights with reduced energy consumption. LED lights have been found best for the environment as they save on energy up to 80-90% during the holidays, when compared with traditional incandescent bulbs.
LED technological advancements
After the 2010s, there were increasing advancements in the availability of colors and patterns. The use of programmable lights, which led to the beautiful appearances of dynamic displays through changing colors, became more popular. LEDs were integrated with the technology of smart homes, paving the way for their regular and exhaustive use during the Christmas holidays. The revolution and breakthrough came with their integration through timers, smartphones, and easy voice commands.
To sum up!
In the present scenario, LED lights for the Christmas holidays can be seen as budget-friendly and technologically sound options for buyers who can choose from their multiple forms, such as icicle lights, string lights, net lights, etc. When decorating residential or commercial properties, they have become an unbeatable choice. The promise of durability, energy efficiency, and versatility is a plus with LEDs used for Christmas.
