LED BLUE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

Many histories of Christmas lights begin with the development of electric lights and the electric strings of lights.  However, there is a much more ancient source for the use of light at this time.  Many ancient pagan cultures celbrated the “return of the sun” at or just after the winter solstice with lights or fires.  The lived an uncertain existence and the solstice was a reminder that winter fades and the spring and summer return with lengthening days, warmth and renewed growth of their crops.  Similar practices were seen almost worldwide in many different cultures.  Today modern pagans celbrate the “return of the sun” at winter solstice or Yule with lights and celebration.

Although not a pagan practice, Jews celbrate Hanukkah near the winter solstice as well.  This holiday arose after an ancient king of Syria, Antiochus, conquered Israel in the 2nd century BCE and desecrated the Temple, forbidding Jewish rites there and turning the Temple to pagan worship.  Judah the Macabee and a group of rebels fought the Syrians, liberated Jerusalem and the Temple and restored worship there.  When they liberated the Temple, they only found enough olive oil to burn in the Menorah for 24 hours.  They needed enough for eight days until new oil could be pressed.  Miraculously, the oil lasted for the entire eight days.  Since that time, Hanukkah has been celebrated to commemorate this miracle.  A 9 candle menorah is used and can burn either candles or olive oil.  Many people use electric ones as decorations and decorate their homes with lights. 

Following the rise of Christianity, many of the cultures who had old pagan solstice traditions, celebrating the solstice with light for the return of the sun, now folded those traditions into Christmas and celebrated a “return of the Son” with light, fire and Yule logs.  Initially, by the 4th century CE, there was interest in choosing a day to celebrate Jesus’ birthday.  And although he is believed to have been born in the fall, western church leaders chose December 25 because this day was already associated with the birthdays of various pagan gods of the Roman Empire.  Thus, the date could develop new associations.  Other Christian traditions selected different dates, but several still near the winter solstice. 

By the 17th Century, wealthy Germans began to decorate their Christmas trees with candles..not a practice that was very safe.  Around 1900 they began using glass bulbs to protect the candles and hold them in place. 

In the mean time, Edward Johnson an assistant to Thomas Edison developed the first electric string of Christmas lights which were lit in his home which was one of the first homes wired for electricity in New York.  The event created quite a stir as it was reported in a Detroit Post and Tribune by a reporter Croffit as……It was brilliantly lighted with many colored globes about as large as an English walnut and was turning some six times a minute on a little pine box. There were eighty lights in all encased in these dainty glass eggs, and about equally divided between white, red and blue. As the tree turned, the colors alternated, all the lamps going out and being relit at every revolution. The result was a continuous twinkling of dancing colors, red, white, blue, white, red, blue—all evening……

The race was on.  These lights became coveted, but most homes were not yet lit with electricity and individuals had to generate their own if they wanted lighting.  In 1895 President Cleveland sponsored the first public lighting of a Christmas tree.  Wealthy families began lighting their own and having Tree Parties.  Before long, General Electric began renting lights to the general public, as the lights were still too expensive on most salaries.  Albert Sadaka developed the safety Christmas light and his family popularized the use of electric lights for Christmas trees and holiday lighting.  Following some debates about patents and trademarks in the courts, several companies began offering their own lighting strings to the general public. 

The Christmas tree lights became ever more popular, until today we have all kinds, shapes and colors of Christmas lights.  And now we are moving into a new phase when we are developing energy efficient LED Christmas lights to brighten our Holidays.