Why do we put up Christmas lights?
For many of us, twinkling lights been part of festive celebrations since as early as we can remember. But where did Christmas lights originate? This week, we’re looking at the history and meaning behind them!
Christmas lights actually came about because of Christmas trees!
The tradition of bringing an evergreen fir tree into the home is thought to originate in 17th century Germany. Some suggest that Christmas trees were inspired by the Paradise Tree, which symbolised the Garden of Eden in a medieval play about Adam and Eve. Whatever inspired it, the tradition became very popular amongst German families.
In 1800, Queen Charlotte, German wife of King George III, is said to have introduced the first Christmas tree to the British royal household. Some years later in 1848, Queen Victoria and her German husband Prince Albert made Christmas trees popular in Britain when an illustration was published of the family gathered around a tree at home!
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Before the invention of electric lights, Christmas trees were often decorated with trinkets and candles which were attached to branches with pins or melted wax. Protestant reformer Martin Luther is often credited with being the first to put candles on the Christmas tree after seeing twinkling stars above the forest on a nighttime stroll.
In Christian tradition, adding candles symbolised Jesus being the light of the world. Others simply added candles to the tree to illuminate the ornaments. However, the candles were quite a fire hazard and families could not keep them lit for long and buckets of water were kept nearby in case of fires!
When electric lights were invented in the late 1800s, candles were gradually replaced on Christmas trees as electricity became more widespread, and evolved into the array of twinkling Christmas lights we know today!
And now lights aren’t just for the tree. Whether it’s decorating the outside of your home, illuminating city centres or large scale installations and light trails, Christmas lights bring joy and wonder to the darker, colder months, AND trigger happy hormones and boost energy levels!