Traditions and Trivia: Lights

A long time ago, someone had the bright idea to put candles on a tree they brought inside to celebrate the winter solstice.

The Germans that invented what we know today as the modern Christmas tree decorated their trees with candles and gingerbread.

Not always the smartest thing, as many fires were started because of combinations of resin and flames.

Of course with the invention of the light bulb, it was only a matter of time before the candles on the trees were replaced with electric lights.

According to history1800s.about.com, the first Christmas tree documented with lights on it was put up by Edward Johnson, President of the Edison Electric Company. “Johnson rigged up a Christmas tree with electrical lights in 1882,” the website states.

At first Christmas lights were a little too expensive for everyone but the obscenely rich, but as more and more people got electricity put into their houses, they starting catching on.

However, there were still many who used candles as a cheaper alternative, and house fires still occurred.

History1800s.about.com states, “a popular legend is that a teenager named Albert Sadacca, after reading about a tragic New York City fire in 1917 caused by candles lighting a Christmas tree, urged his family, which was in the novelty business, to begin manufacturing affordable strings of lights.”

As Paul Harvey would say, “now you know the rest of the story.”