Christmas lights, as a holiday season tradition, are the result of centuries of cultural evolution. Candles lit homes in the darkest part of the year long before Christmas was practiced, a tradition it later adopted. The tradition of putting lights out at night evolved further with the invention of electrical lighting. This revolutionized the tradition, and technological improvement continued to develop it further still as time passed.
Symbolism
Many cultures find light to symbolize hope, warmth, and overcoming darkness. In a time of long hardship, light is what brings back peace. Light has great cultural significance, both practical and spiritual. Light thaws the ground for crops to grow again, much like it restores hope. In some cultures, light represents the triumph of life over death, which is why they are put up in the winter.
Christianity / Christmas
Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus, a man referred to as “Light of the world” in the Bible. Jesus brings hope and spiritual rebirth to the world, which is reflected thematically by the usage of lights and stars. Christmas day, on December 25th, is nearly the darkest day of the year (in the northern hemisphere), meaning days only get brighter from that point on. Christmas lights remind us of the promise of grace and salvation. The use of Christmas lights can also be linked to the biblical story of the Star of Bethlehem, which led the wise men to the birthplace of Jesus. The star illuminates the path, as a symbol of divine guidance.
Winter Solstice
Before Christmas became a celebrated holiday, the winter solstice was often celebrated with lights too. During these festivals, fire was – and still is – used to mark the return of longer days and the “rebirth” of the sun. With the worst of the cold behind them, the solstice brings back life and warmth.
Technological Advancements in Christmas Lights
Technology has dramatically transformed the tradition of Christmas lights, making them safer, more affordable, and widely accessible. What began as a modest use of candles has become a global, technologically driven celebration of light, with innovations such as LEDs and smart lighting now offering limitless possibilities for creativity and sustainability.
Candles
- The tradition of decorating with lights for Christmas began in 17th-century Germany, where people would decorate Christmas trees with candles. These candles were fragile, posing a fire hazard and limiting how long they could be used. The early use of candles marked the beginning of the tradition of lighting up homes and trees to celebrate the holiday.
Electric Lights
- The invention of the electric light bulb in 1879 was a major step, providing a much safer alternative to candles. However, these lights were still expensive and out of reach for most households.
Commercialization of Christmas lights
- Advancements in mass production and electricity access in the early 1900s allowed Christmas lights to become more widely available. This was the beginning of outdoor Christmas displays, as the lights grew to be a more popular tradition.
Introduction of Twinkling and miniature lights
- Innovations in small, twinkling lights added variety and charm to holiday displays in the mid-20th century. The new lights were more durable, energy-efficient, and could be hung on larger scales, paving the way for more complex Christmas decorations.
LED lights
- In the 1990s, LED (Light Emitting Diode) technology revolutionized Christmas lights. LED lights are energy-efficient, long-lasting, and offer many more colors and customizable effects than incandescent bulbs. The use of LEDs enabled large-scale public displays, by covering entire buildings while consuming less power.
Programmable / Smart lights
- Technology has recently grown to introduce smart Christmas lights that can be controlled via apps or voice commands. The lights provide extensive configuration, allowing users to change colors, set patterns, and sync lights to music. The rise of programmable lights has made large, synchronized light shows a popular feature during the holiday season.
Community
In many religions and cultural celebrations, light plays a significant role. Christmas lights can be seen as part of this larger, universal symbolism that crosses over cultural boundaries. For example, Diwali (the Hindu Festival of Lights) and Hanukkah (the Jewish Festival of Lights) both utilize lights to represent spiritual victory over darkness.
Competition
Another uniting factor is competition. Neighborhoods will often hold yearly Christmas light competitions, where several houses will attempt to decorate to have the most impressive decorations. Everybody knows that one house in the neighborhood people call “The Griswold's”, in reference to the movie ‘Christmas Vacation’. If a home has lights on the trees, in the bushes, lining flowerbeds, on mantles, or things like that, you will probably hear the nickname thrown around. Friendly competition is very significant to the growth of the Christmas light industry.