The History Of Christmas Lights

Today s holiday lights have evolved quite a bit since thomas edison displayed the first electric lights outside his laboratory in 1880.

The history of christmas lights. Her master s thesis christmas lights in america. This custom was borrowed from pagan yule rituals that. This tradition spread to the united kingdom and from there to north america and australia around 1830 during the reign of queen victoria. The history of christmas lights dates back to 18 th century germany where christmas trees were adorned with candles in upper class homes.

The bulbs were hand wired together much like how you would string beads on thread to make a. The first christmas tree with electric lights was lit up in 1882 the first christmas tree to be adorned in lights revolved and had 80 hand wired large red white and blue electric bulbs in 1882. In 1903 general electric began to offer christmas lights in eight lamp strings called festoons that featured pre wired porcelain sockets miniature glass bulbs and a screw in plug that attached. The first christmas lights that resembled what you see on trees today were first used in 1882.

The intersections of a modern christmas american culture and postwar suburbia focuses on the history of christmas lights and their importance to american culture throughout the twentieth century. Edward johnson an associate of thomas edison wound 80 red white and blue bulbs around his christmas tree. Kerri dean completed her master s degree at cgu in 2015 and is currently a doctoral student in the history department. The introduction of led lights also made a huge impact and in 2011 the national christmas tree in washington d c was decorated with 65 sets of the programmable lights.

These days christmas lights are extravagant. The tradition of using lights during christmas most likely originated in germany during medieval times with the burning of the yule log.