In times of energy shortages, are Christmas lights a luxury that we should do without? Let's take a look back: what do the festive lights mean and how long has this tradition existed? The pre-Christmas period dates back to the 7th century AD and is also known as "the time before the coming of the Lord". Christians also placed a light in the window to invite other believers to pray together. As early as the 17th century, people decorated a fir tree for Christmas and later also used candles.

The invention of the fairy lights
During the Advent season in 1880, Thomas Edison set up the first electric Christmas lights in front of his laboratory, where every passer-by could see them - thus paving the way for illuminated advertising. The first electric fairy lights were invented two years later by Edward Johnson, who worked under Edison: his Christmas tree was fitted with 80 lights - the first strip lights in the colours blue, red and white. Christmas lights were already being produced commercially in 1890, and department stores began using them to decorate their shop windows. At the beginning of the 20th century, they also became popular with smaller shops in the USA. Private households did not follow suit until a few decades later, when mass production made lights affordable. Not least because of the fire hazard posed by wax candles, electric light became widely accepted. Today, Christmas lights are primarily intended to bring joy to people during the dark season.
 
Too much of a good thing?
But how much light and joy is appropriate? Your home, house and garden can generally be decorated and lit up for Christmas. However, a few pointers will help you not to overshoot the mark and annoy your neighbours: don't stress residents with frantically flashing decorations and limit the duration of the lighting - especially as everyone is talking about saving energy.