Christmas lights
When people back in the old days talked about Christmas lights,
they meant the small, white candles on their trees. But today,
people would undoubtedly visualize the chaos of electric lights
in many colors. No country in world cares as much about Xmas
lights as the USA.
It all started with Edward H. Johnson, who was employed by
Thomas Edison, as an inventor. During the months running up
to Christmas in 1882, he created 80 red, white, and blue electrical
light bulbs. When Christmas came, he proudly presented a glimmering
Christmas tree to the gawking public.
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As early as 1895, the first electrical lights were lit on
the Christmas tree in the White House, and today, Christmas
has become a season for lightning balls, stars, angels, and
pixies in many countries.
Many people actually try to exceed each other in designing
Christmas light decorations. Some houses even stand out by
looking like airport terminals during Christmas.
Even though many people might think that it’s too much
to put so many lights all over their houses and gardens, one
can hardly avoid Christmas lights if one wants to have a beautiful
Christmas. In fact, in the later years, decoration using Christmas
lights have become “events” that gather the whole
neighborhood. Check out the study, “Christmas
Lights and Community Building in America”.
The most popular Christmas lights are either the old-fashioned
incandescent light bulbs or the modern LED. The so called Bubble lights are one of the most amusing ways to dress up one's holiday
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Bubble lights:
Sealed glass tubes with a bubbling liquid inside were
first created by Benjamin Franklin. The idea was adopted
for use in Christmas Lights. |
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LED:
LED is short for light-emitting diode. H.J. Round discovered
the light-emitting diode effect back in 1907, but it is
actually not until recent years that light-emitting diodes
have become so advanced that they can be found in all
colors. LED Xmas lights are quickly gaining popularity
in many places due to their very long lifetimes and associated
low maintenance. |
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How to decorate your house with Christmas lights
It is not difficult to install Christmas lights around
your house, but there are still a few things worth keeping
in mind. Here is a list of good pieces of advice.
• 1. First, make a thorough check
of your Christmas lights. There should not be any breaches
on the lead or fuses, since any breach could cause a fire.
• 2. Decide on the location of the
electrical socket. There are rarely any sockets available
in ceiling height, so most likely you will have to drape
an extension cord from the floor and out of a window. If
you want to avoid having to keep a window open during Christmas,
you should drill a small hole through the wall.
Large picture: Christmas
Lights
• 3. Install fasteners or holders
over which to drape the extension cord(s) and the light
strings. You should install all of the holders, before you
drape the extension cord. Notice that many holders are made
of metal which can rust. It is better to use plastic or
rubber holders which are suited for outdoor use.
• 4. Now drape the cable so that
you begin with the plug and continue out and along the many
holders. They should fasten the cable tightly as you proceed.
If you don’t fasten the cable on all of the holders,
the cable might loosen due to the wind or your pets.
5. Keep energy consumption in mind. Use
Christmas lights to decorate your house only during special
occasions.
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Did you know that…
An electrically lighted tree was a status symbol in
the early 1900s.
Early decorators spent a lot of time making sure that
lamps were positioned upright on the tree, because
of the thought that the position would make the lamp
bulb last longer. It is not true, of course.
The small "midget" bulbs commonly known
as fairy lights are also called Italian lights in
some parts of the U.S
The "Tacky Xmas Decoration Contest and Grand
Highly Illuminated House Tour" started in Virginia
in 1986. Today you can find similar contests all over
the world.
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