The surprising link between political strategy and health policies
When a bulb stopped working, Hargrove dressed up as Santa and proceeded to climb up the tree to replace the malfunctioning light.
In 1926, Sadacca started the National Outfit Manufacturers Association, a trade group of several small companies that consolidated into the NOMA Electric Company. NOMA became the largest Christmas light company in the world until the mid-'60s.
By 1900, it could cost as much as US$300 (around $10,000 today) to pay for the lights, a generator, and a wire man's services to illuminate a Christmas tree with electric lights.
Benjamin Harrison was the first to have a Christmas tree in the White House in 1889, but it wasn't until 1895 that Grover Cleveland (pictured) requested the First Family's tree be decorated with hundreds of multicolored bulbs. This was four years after the White House received electricity.
On top of that, early electric Christmas lights were hand-wired and made with delicate glass bulbs, which contributed to the high price tag.
In 1917, a tragic fire in New York City (caused by candles on a Christmas tree) inspired then-teenager Albert Sadacca to adapt the novelty lighting his parents sold for Christmas trees. While only a hundred strings sold in the first year, once Sadacca painted the bulbs red, green, and other colors, the business took off.
For more than 60 years, Hargrove Inc. has decorated the National Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C. In 1954, when this tradition began, Earl Hargrove had to install each light individually.
Determined to electrify downtown Manhattan, Thomas Edison sought to draw attention to his incandescent light bulb during the 1880 Christmas season.
To increase sales, General Electric and various distribution companies sponsored neighborhood "decorating with color-light" contests, a tradition that continues to this day in the US.
President Calvin Coolidge (pictured) was responsible for the first National Christmas Tree in 1923. Adorned with 2,500 red, white, and green electric bulbs, for most of the country outdoor lights wouldn't be widely available until 1927.
Edison laid 8 mi (12 km) of underground wire to power strings of lights around the outside of his New Jersey lab. Train commuters traveling between New York and Philadelphia were so amazed by the glowing fields that one reporter labeled Edison "The Enchanter."
The person who kick-started the tradition of holiday lights is believed to be Martin Luther, the 16th-century Protestant reformer and priest.
However, it was only in 1882 that these lights were used for decorating purposes. During that holiday season, Edison's colleague Edward H. Johnson strung 80 colored electric lights around a Christmas tree in Edison's lab.
On another note, a study by the University of Pennsylvania found that neighborhoods with more Christmas lights had lower crime rates.
There, the lights get broken down for their copper and wire insulation, and recycled into new products.
When Christmas lights break or no longer work, they're often sent to Shijiao, China. Each year, the city receives around 20 million pounds (nine million kg) of lights.
The researchers believe that the lights make the neighborhood feel more welcoming and cohesive, which can deter burglars.
Sources: (Mental Floss) (The Week)
See also: The best sweet treats to make at home for the holidays
It's said that he became so enchanted by the stars shining through an evergreen forest that he brought a tree into his home and tied candles onto its branches.
To prevent fires, make sure to water real trees frequently, unplug lights when leaving home, and discard damaged holiday lights.
As the metal cools, it bends back and reconnects the circuit to create an intermittent flashing effect.
In 2014, the Gay family reclaimed the Guinness World Record for the most lights on a residential property. They strung a total of 601,736 lights around their home in LaGrangeville, New York.
Those twinkling lights work through a simple design. When electricity heats a strip of metal in the bulb, it bends and breaks the circuit.
The lights were a huge success, and they quickly became a popular way to decorate for the holiday season.
Cleveland is credited with warming the American public to the idea of electric Christmas lights. At the time, many people mistrusted electricity and thought that dangerous vapors would enter their homes through the lights and wires.
The paint would often flake due to the heat generated by the light, so milk glass was typically used to make the flaking paint less noticeable.
Many of the early light bulbs were blown from the molds that were also used to make glass ornaments. They were then painted by toy makers.
The family nearly doubled their display since breaking the record in 2012 with 346,283 lights.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), thousands of people are treated in emergency rooms around the US for injuries connected to holiday lights, Christmas trees, ornaments, and other decorations during the holiday season.
The most common injuries are falls, lacerations, and back strains. So be careful when you're getting those Christmas lights up!
It's the season of delicious cookies, Santa, gifts, and, of course, twinkling lights of all shapes and sizes. A staple of the holiday season, Christmas lights add a touch of magic to homes and businesses alike, plus they're a great way to spread holiday cheer. But did you know they have a long and colorful, but often overlooked, history?
Click on for a few things you may not have known about these festive lights.
While electric lights have reduced the risk of fire tremendously, the CPSC estimates that fire departments respond to several hundred fires each year in which the Christmas tree was the first ignited item.
What you didn't know about Christmas lights
Learn more about those merry and bright Christmas lights!
LIFESTYLE Holidays
It's the season of delicious cookies, Santa, gifts, and, of course, twinkling lights of all shapes and sizes. A staple of the holiday season, Christmas lights add a touch of magic to homes and businesses alike, plus they're a great way to spread holiday cheer. But did you know they have a long and colorful, but often overlooked, history?
Click on for a few things you may not have known about these festive lights.