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Two years later, an associate named Edward Johnson displayed the first electrically illuminated Christmas tree at his Manhattan home. Not too subtle, you might remark, but keep in mind that this is a man who once electrocuted an elephant.
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Passing commuters would see the unexpected Christmas miracle as they passed – the remote generator was concealed a just-plain-showing-off eight miles away. Turns out, the best way was to string incandescent bulbs all around his famous Menlo Park laboratory compound. Candle holders replaced melted wax, and lanterns or glass balls started to be used at the turn of the 20 th century.īut it was Thomas Edison who really changed everything.īy 1880, Edison had pretty much sussed out his revolutionary incandescent light bulbs. Candles were an expensive light source, and using them for so frivolous a festive purpose became a hallmark of upper-class homes seeking to keep up with the Joneses. She sat up the first known English tree at Queen’s Lodge, Windsor, in December 1800.
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It was ‘good Queen Charlotte’, wife of ‘Mad King George’, who brought the tradition from her native Germany to the heart of England. As time went by, small candles were attached to tree branches using pins or melted wax, and the early forerunner of the modern Christmas light was born.
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Way back when it was candles instead of bulbs that helped bring in the Christmas season.īy the start of the 17 th century, decorated trees were making an appearance across the country, and Christians would display a burning candle in their windows to indicate that other Christians were welcome to come worship. That was one issue people didn’t face in the 1600’s when Christmas lights started to take root in Southern Germany. The worst struggles we face with modern Christmas lights tend to revolve around tangling. Ready to get going? Great – so are we! The History of Christmas LightingĬhristmas Lights Find Their Footing in Germany
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Rockefeller Center: If you’re American, Rockefeller Center is probably synonymous with Christmas. With roughly 250,000 LEDs packed into such a small area, the venue puts on a breath-taking show every 20 minutes across the Christmas season. Shiodome Caretta Illumination: Japan might not seem the logical place for Christmas lights, but head to Tokyo’s Caretta Shiodome mall for a truly sensational display. Three miles (the longest shopping street in Europe) plays host to one of the best displays in the world. Oxford Street: Christmas 2017 will see 750,000 LED bulbs come together to cast a magical glow over one of London’s most famous and walked streets. Well-known displays have even become tourist destinations in their own right.
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Whether festooning your house with an extravagant display, walking through public shows, or keeping it simple with a string of lights around the tree, they’re an integral part of the season. Well, there’s one thing that brings all those festive thoughts together: they are images lit and made special by the enchanting illumination of Christmas lights. Maybe you’ll think about walking through your local town or park to take in the displays, or perhaps you’ll remember the last time you decorated your own home for everyone’s favourite time of year? If asked to picture Christmas, you’ll probably conjure up images of presents under the tree, stockings hung by the chimney with care and huge turkey dinners you let yourself get away with because it’s the diet-free day of December 25 th.
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