History of christmas lights - By: Kathryn Dawson

Christmas lights are a big part of the festive season. Houses, shops and even the streets are adorned with Christmas lights from early December through to January. Everywhere looks so much nicer lit up with Christmas lights that it is always a sad day when they have to be taken down for another year. Gathering around the Christmas tree to decorate it is one of the biggest traditions that many families have. It is a much anticipated event that children in particular look forward to.

The tradition of Christmas lights goes back a long way. Before even electricity was invented, lit candles would be used in the trees. As far back as the seventeenth century candles were attached to the tree with the use of melted candle wax. It wasn't long before candle holders were used in place of the candle wax. It is not surprising that tree fires were common! It was the latest nineteenth century when the idea of the electric Christmas light was thought of. The assistant of Thomas Edison was the person to think of the soon to be Christmas phenomenon. The idea caught on fast and soon everyone was selling electric Christmas lights. In 1917 a new safety light was produced for the use in Christmas trees following a serious and tragic house fire caused by electric lights. It is these safety lights that have been commonly used all over the world since then.

Today there are Christmas lights sold and used across the world. A recent trend has been towards LED lights as a replacement to the traditional filament bulb. These are not only brighter and safer, but they are kinder on the environment as they use less electricity. This also makes them cheaper on the pocket too and they last a lot longer than traditional bulbs. They are becoming the most popular choice certainly when it comes to all types of fairy light and Christmas light decoration.

Anyone wishing to display lights outdoors over Christmas need to purchase a very particular kind of light - one that is designed for outside. The wind, rain and harsh elements will mean any light strung up outside needs to be designed just for this purpose and it is very dangerous to use indoor lights, outdoors. If you are interested in having a large outdoor display then you need to consider things such as wattage available and where there are sockets available. It can be a real problem if your lights keep tripping because there is too much strain on the amount of electricity available in the home.

There are a huge number of lights available for purchase today. There are plain lights, white lights, coloured lights, musical lights and lights in all sorts of shapes and sizes. There are also lights that produce different light patterns if you would like. The trick to purchasing the right type of lights is to make a quick plan before hand of what you need and ensuring you choose lights that you like. If you follow this advice then you will be able to create a beautiful effect in your home every year.

If you don't like the idea of electronic christmas lights then there are battery Christmas lights available instead. These are fantastic because they can be displayed absolutely anywhere, regardless of whether or not there is an electricity socket nearby or not. Whether it is Christmas tree lights you are looking for or general fairy lights to be displayed in the home, buying in bulk or buying online can save you a lot of money. Make sure you know what exactly it is you need first so you end up with the right number and types of light.

About the Author

Kathryn Dawson writes for LDJ Lights, a retailer of Christmas lights and fairy lights in the UK. LDJ Lights carries a selection of christmas tree lights and battery christmas lights in many colours; multicoloured, red, white, blue and even pink.

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