The Birth of Christmas Lights

Before electric Christmas lights were invented, people depended upon candlelight to illuminate their Christmas trees. As you might imagine, the practice of putting lighted candles onto a cut evergreen tree caused more that its share of fires. That hazard began to get a whole lot safer in the year 1882, when the first Christmas tree was set aglow with the aid of electricity. A man by the name of Edward H. Johnson invented the first Christmas tree that was illuminated by electricity. Johnson, who was an inventor and an associate of Thomas Edison, came to be known as the “Father of Electric Christmas Tree Lights.” On December 22, 1882, he proudly displayed his electrically lit Christmas lights on his tree at his home on Fifth Avenue in New York City.

In 1895, Christmas lights came to the White House, when President Grover Cleveland lit the first electrically illuminated tree with more than 100 lights on it of various colors. By the first part of the next century, Christmas lights began to appear outdoors in cities like San Diego and New York City. However, it still took many years before electric Christmas lights began making an appearance on famous Christmas trees like the ones at Rockefeller Center in New York and Disney’s Christmas tree. Within a few years after Christmas tree lights became more commonplace, Christmas lights began showing up in other areas as well, such as strung along mantles or doorways or outlining the rafters of houses.

Christmas Lights Today
At the beginning of the twenty-first century, Christmas lights have become a work of art in themselves, with new ways of displaying their illumination getting invented all the time. The incandescent lights that many of us grew up with are now being replaced in many homes with the more efficient and reliable LED Christmas lights. A number of years ago, bubble lights were all the rage. These lights featured long glass tubes with colored liquid bubbling within. This style of holiday lights peaked in popularity around the 1950’s, but you can still find versions of the bubble Christmas lights in stores today. They have become popular for a retro Christmas theme for many holiday decorators.

No matter what types of Christmas lights you decide to use, or how you decide to use them, this holiday tradition has become a staple in many homes today. In fact, it would hardly seem like Christmas without a few strands of Christmas lights twinkling throughout the home and neighborhood.Decorating a Christmas tree with lights and ornaments, and the decoration of the interior of the home with garlands and evergreen foliage, particularly holly and mistletoe, are common traditions. In North and South America and to a lesser extent Europe, it is traditional to decorate the outside of houses with lights, and sometimes with illuminated sleighs, snowmen, and other Christmas figures.


Explore more about Christmas Decorations

Fun with Christmas Clipart
When Christmas arrives, everybody thinks of new and unique ideas to celebrate it with their loved ones. One of these ideas is to use clipart to decorate a lot of things around which gives a feeling of completeness in everything. There are many ways clipart can be used, and the best part is there are so many types of clipart available on market and the Internet that you can make any customized item you want.

Outdoor Christmas Decorations Tips
Among the outdoor decorations available, animated ones are popular, featuring traditional scenes and things such as moving santas and reindeers accompanied by a sleigh. Inflatable outdoor decorations are also available in blow up form as santa or a snowman, along with tamer decorative items like balloons.

Christmas Decorations To Light Up Your Holidays
With a wee bit of extra time and imagination, you can do wonders with your Christmas decoration. So it is always a wise thought to start decorating your home early.

The Beauty of Christmas Lights
As Christmas time starts to roll around each year, many people start to purchase Christmas decorations and gifts. Some people start their shopping early and this is very smart. If this is you, then you most likely find all kinds of good deals on your gifts and you get to avoid the stress that occurs from shopping at the last minute.

Christmas Lights Tips
It seems that strands of the lights get a little short in the wire, or a light bulb burns out. I have spent countless hours figuring out where the problem is located. I come up with the perfect solution, buy extra lights that are on clearance at the end of the season.

Christmas Décor Is Matter Of Personal Choice
What makes a good holiday decoration and what fits and what does not is strictly up to the homeowner. Each person has their own ideas of what their Christmas décor should represent and most ignore the color requirements in finding items that appeal to them.

Christmas Decorations on a Budget
You dont have to spend extravagantly on Christmas decorations. By making your own, you will be putting your personality in your Christmas decorating.

How To Make A Tin Can Luminary
A tin can luminary is a fun, easy craft project for all ages. They are great for any holiday and only limited by your imagination! You can transfer any simple shape onto a tin can to create a beautiful candle holder for any occasion.

Christmas Reindeer Silhouette Clock
Make a Christmas decoration that is both functional and decorative with this festive reindeer clock.

Christmas Stockings - A Tradition of Celebration
As with many Christmas traditions, there are legends galore to explain the use of Christmas stockings. Stockings have changed over the years. Most people don’t hang an actual stocking that they wear on Christmas Even, but instead they hang special decorative stockings to be filled by St. Nick.

Great Ideas for this Years Christmas Stocking
Hanging up your Christmas stocking can be a fun thing to do because its always a challenge to fill up your xmas stocking with the most interesting stuff. Toys, candy and Christmas crackers always make a fine fit into the average stocking.

Create Your Own Christmas Stocking Patterns
You can buy a Christmas stocking pattern or trace a stocking you already have to create a handmade Christmas stocking.

Making Heirloom Christmas Stockings - Gifts to Treasure
Handmade Christmas stockings are the stockings that are most cherished. There is nothing more wonderful than making or receiving a handmade Christmas stocking from a friend or relative. Handmade Christmas stockings can be knitted, cross-stitched, crocheted, embroidered, quilted or made from felt, silk, velvet, or other fabrics.

Personalized Christmas Stocking
Christmas socks are now used as decorative ornaments for the Christmas season. You can hang them by the fireplace, Christmas trees, window sills and on our tables. You can buy them in the supermarket and will come in different designs and patterns. You can also make your own Christmas socks and add some personal touches using your own creative imagination.

Christmas Decorating Ideas
The time has come to start putting up Christmas decorations. But, before you rush off to your local store to buy this years collection of baubles, wreaths and garlands, think carefully about your decorating theme. Christmas themes can vary from traditional to modern; elegant to fun; natural to high-tech etc.

5 Most Popular Styles of Christmas Ornaments
Over the past few decades, Christmas ornaments have developed into elaborate pieces of art which are delicately planned out and placed throughout the Christmas tree. Currently there are many types of Christmas ornaments to choose from and the creativity and uniqueness of your Christmas tree will highly depend on the types of ornaments you choose.

Personalized Christmas Ornament
Creating your own personalized engraved Christmas ornament is a lovely way for you to remember each year that passes. The beaded Christmas ornament is fun to make and they look very nice on the Christmas tree.

Decorating Your Workplace for Christmas
If you are interested in decorating your workplace or even just your workspace, you will find that there are a number of different ways that you can go about doing so; ways that can help you find affordable Christmas decorations or the ones that look the best.

What to Consider Before Decorating Your Workplace for Christmas
Before you go and start hanging up Christmas decorations, there are a number of important factors that you should first take into consideration.

List of Christmas Decorating Project and Idea Pages
Do you love to decorate your home, your bedroom, your tree, your living room, your dining room and your front entry for Christmas? If you're looking for holiday inspiration, you've come to the right place. You'll find Christmas decorating tips, FAQs, holiday centerpieces, ornament ideas, top picks for trees, and lots more. Enjoy the season!

Personalized Homemade Christmas Candle
When trying to think of what your child can give this Christmas, consider this quick and easy alternate to a store bought item. This easy to accomplish Christmas candle will make your holiday memories last.

All Things Christmas: Holiday Decorating
In many families, Christmas decorations and decorating traditions are passed on from generation to generation. Christmas decorations are more than xmas balls. Find easy holidays decorating ideas.

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