National Christmas Lights Day Date in the current year: December 1, 2024

Christmas lights, also known as fairy lights, festive lights, holiday lights, mini lights, string lights or twinkle lights, have been associated with the holiday season for over a century. Modern Christmas lights can be made using a variety of lamps and technologies. Incandescent light bulbs used to be the most common type of lamps used in fairy lights, but LED lights are becoming increasingly popular because of their energy efficiency.

Back in the day, Christmas trees were occasionally decorated with miniature candles that were glued to the branches with melted wax or attached by special pins. However, these candles were a rather expensive source of light, as well as a fire hazard. Special candle holders for Christmas tree candles were introduced in the late 19th century, and small lanterns to hold the candles were first used in the early 20th century.

The first electrically-illuminated Christmas tree was created by Thomas Edison’s associate Edward H. Johnson, who is widely regarded as the Father of Electric Christmas Lights. He displayed it at his home in New York City on December 22, 1882. And that’s how the era of modern Christmas lights began.

The tradition of decorating publicly displayed Christmas trees with electric lights became common during the first half of the 20th century. By the mid-century, it also became customary to use Christmas lights to decorate storefronts, commercial and public buildings, and private homes.

Christmas light displays are a popular aspect of the winter holiday season in many parts of the world. In numerous towns and cities around the globe, Christmas lights are used to deck public Christmas trees, popular tourist attractions, trees growing in the streets and in public parks, department stores, lampposts, and other buildings and structures. They are also used to make impressive light sculptures.

Some cities even hold annual Christmas lights festivals, drawing tourists from all over the world. Some of the most famous lights festivals include the TSB Festival of Lights in New Plymouth, New Zealand, the Cavalcade of Lights in Toronto, Canada, the Festival of Northern Lights in Owen Sound, Canada, the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival in Chicago, United States, the Reykjavik Winter Lights Festival in Reykjavik, Iceland, and many others.

The origins of National Christmas Lights Day are unclear, but don’t let it stop you from celebrating. You can observe the holiday by putting up a Christmas tree, decorating your entire house with Christmas lights (we recommend that you opt for LED lights because they are more energy-efficient), and checking out your hometown’s Christmas tree or Christmas lights display. And don’t forget to let others know about this amazing holiday by posting on social media with the hashtag #NationalChristmasLightsDay.