The most wonderful time of the year is approaching. Fall and winter holidays are right around the corner, and this is a great opportunity to showcase your home. Thinking about transforming your home into a fantastic winter wonderland? Holiday lighting brings joy and nostalgia, while bolstering people’s moods. Start decorating with Christmas lighting colors early this year and be the envy of your Southern California neighborhood.
The custom of Christmas lights began in medieval times in Germany! During their “Yule” celebration of the winter solstice, people burned a “Yule Log” to light the darkest days of winter. After some time, the custom of log lighting was replaced by candle lighting, and by the end of the 18th Century the tradition of lighting candles for Christmas spread throughout the UK, North America, and Australia.
By 1856, U.S. President Franklin Pierce brought candlelit Christmas trees to the White House. People used pins, glue, and melted wax to affix candles to Christmas tree branches inside their homes. Knowing the danger this presents, families lit the candles for only a short time each night, with containers of water nearby. Still, many homes burned to the ground due to the open flames. The house fires were so frequent, that in 1908 insurance companies declared they would no longer pay for Christmas tree fire damage.
In 1880, Thomas Edison invented the incandescent bulb, tied them on strings and hung them all around his Menlo Park compound during Christmas. Then, three days before Christmas of 1882, Christmas tree lights were born! One of Thomas Edison’s employees, Edward Hibberd Johnson, realized the festive potential. He wrapped some small bulbs on a wire around a Christmas tree. Excitement filled the air and the Detroit Post reported on the first electrically illuminated Christmas tree in New York:
“There … was a large Christmas tree presenting a most picturesque and uncanny aspect. It was brilliantly lit with many colored globes about as large as an English walnut … The result was a continuous twinkling of dancing colors, red, white, blue, white, red, blue all evening. I need not tell you that the scintillating evergreen was a pretty sight — one can hardly imagine anything prettier. The ceiling was crossed obliquely with two wires on which hung 28 more of the tiny lights; and all the lights and the fantastic tree itself with its starry fruit were kept going by the slight electric current brought from the main office on a filmy wire.”
The first ad for Christmas tree lights appeared in the magazine, Scientific American, in 1925. The lights were so expensive, costing $12 for 16 bulbs, which is approximately $300 in today’s dollars! Many people could only afford to rent rather than buy electric holiday lights.
In the 1910s, Christmas lights started to be used outside of houses and city parks. Then in 1912, a group of wealthy New Yorkers sponsored a public Christmas celebration with a huge lighted Christmas
tree. Their goal was to revive a sense of community they felt had been lost during the fast-paced industrial revolution. The event drew a large crowd from a variety of religions, races, and ethnicities, who celebrated the joyful experience together.
In the mid-20th Century, post-War era, Americans embraced the inspirational symbolism that Holiday light displays offered. At the 1957 National Christmas tree lighting ceremony, President Eisenhower explained the new tradition: “The custom we now observe brings us together for a few minutes on this one night – you and I are not alone in a world indifferent and cold. We are part of a numerous company, united in the brotherhood of Christmas.”
Historians say that people tend to look for traditions and symbols of hope in times of uncertainty, such as Christmas and holiday lighting. Beautiful holiday lighting brightens our lives and lifts our spirits. This trip through the past illustrates the positive impact of lighting and the resilience of tradition.
Your Christmas Lighting Colors is your personal expression of inspiration for the Holidays. Do you like bright and colorful lighting? Or do you prefer a monochromatic lighting design? Using certain colors of lighting can change the overall feel of your space. It’s truly wonderful to plan and design the perfect harmony of color to give your home holiday cheer.
What Christmas white appeals to you? Warm white or winter white? Warm white lights achieve their look by blending a bit of yellow in with the white. That little hint of yellow creates a soft, classic Christmas look. Warm white lights are an ideal complement to Christmas décor that includes gold ornaments and ribbons. Winter white lights, sometimes called pure white, give off a blueish-white color and are brighter than warm white. Winter white lights are a good choice if you want your home to reflect an icy, frosty look. They also look fantastic when paired with other Christmas Lighting Colors, like red and blue. Keep in mind that not all winter white lights are the same, so our tip is to purchase your Christmas Lighting Colors from the same vendor each time.
Multicolored lights are festive, fun and connect us to the nostalgic, classic Christmas décor.
Red lights are attention-grabbing and bold. Red lighting creates an energetic feel and symbolizes strength, confidence, and power. Think of Santa Claus dressed in his red and white suit.
Orange is a fun and playful color, associated with adventure. Orange is warm and inviting, also representing creativity.
Yellow lights stimulate happiness, invoking positivity and motivation. Yellow is a good eye-catching color that communicates optimism, joy, and clarity.
Green lights evoke a feeling of vitality and growth. Safety, serenity, and wealth are also associated with green. Green is a complementary color to red, making them a perfect pair for holiday lighting!
Blue lights can make us feel tranquil and calm. Blue represents trust, strength, and stability. Blue lights combined with winter white lights create an icy feel. This color combination also symbolizes the celebration of Hanukkah.
Purple and violet lights can be seen as mysterious. Purple is traditionally associated with royalty and nobility. However, purple is quite versatile and can be viewed as imaginative, wise, spiritual, and sophisticated.
Pink lights give a romantic and exciting feel and are associated with love and kindness. Pink lights will draw attention and stand out from the rest because they are not commonly used for Christmas holiday lighting. They might also call to mind romance and holidays such as Valentine’s Day.
Planning this season’s holiday lighting design is an exciting, creative experience. Whether you prefer a traditional display, a winter wonderland, or something in between, the experts at Mobile Illumination can help! We can bring the wonder and joy of the holiday season right to your front door. Click here and call us today!
Want to see more deck lighting tips? Check out our photo gallery!
We’re here to help! Give us a call and we’ll answer any questions you have about your string lighting.