Reflecting Americans’ love for holiday decorating, today is National Christmas Lights Day!
December 1
An event every year that begins at 12:00 am on day 1 of December, repeating indefinitely
Reflecting Americans’ love for holiday decorating, today is National Christmas Lights Day!
Did you know? The small strands of bulbs commonly called “Christmas lights” were first invented by Thomas Edison in the 1880s – he decorated outside his Menlo Park Laboratory with the little lights for the holiday season. Two years later, Edison’s friend Edward Johnson put the lights to use for his Christmas tree, wiring together a strand of red, white, and blue bulbs (how patriotic!)
Mass-produced electric holiday lights wouldn’t catch on with the public until the early 1900s, when General Electric began offering affordable pre-assembled kits. Prior to this time, lighting the Christmas tree could be downright dangerous, as families relied on carefully attended candles for that signature holiday glow.
-Written by Anna Zemaitaitis, Communications and Design Officer
