Christmas Lights

History of Christmas Lighting

First Christmas tree with
electric lights, 1882

Christmas lights have been one of the most popular Christmas decorations for the past century. In 1882, three years after Edison invented the first sensible light bulb, Edward H. Johnson created the first holiday lights in his home in New York City. The tree was hand-wired and lit with 80 red, white, and blue globes. The lights blinked and twinkled while the tree slowly revolved.

Christmas lights were first made available for sale in 1890, but were so expensive that most people could not afford them. They were a symbol of status among the wealthy and many people rented lights instead of buying them. In 1903, one set of 24 lights sold for $12.00. Considering the average person made about $9 a week, this was far too extravagant for the normal family. In addition to the cost of the lights, the service of a wireman was required and, if the house was not electrically powered, they also needed a generator.

Outdoor holiday lights did not become practical for the average family until the 1930s. By this time, not only were homes decorated with electric lights, stores, community Christmas trees, and government buildings were also adorned with the twinkling lights. General Electric began to sponsor community Christmas lighting competitions in the 1920s, but it wasn't until the 1950s that it was common to see rows of houses lit on the outside. Today, the places you find the lights are as numerous as the types of lights available.

Before You Buy Christmas Lights

Ask yourself these important questions before you start buying holiday lights:

• Are incandescent or LED lights right for me?
• What shape, style, and size of lights will I need?
• What length of stringers are necessary for my application?
• What color lights do I want?

LED Lights vs Incandescent Lights

For years the standard for Christmas lighting has been an incandescent C7 or C9 bulb. This is the traditional candle shaped glass bulb that you still may see lining houses across the country every winter. These styles of bulbs have a distinct twinkle and color and make many people feel nostalgic. As technology advanced, many people realized that replacing their incandescent holiday lights with LEDs saves energy while providing the same (or more) amount of light than traditional incandescent lights. Also, many users prefer that the hard plastic bulbs of LED bulbs as opposed to the glass bulbs of incandescent. The plastic makes the bulbs more durable and if they break the clean-up is much easier.

If you're wanting a more traditional “warm” look from your lights, then incandescent bulbs may be the right option for you. If you are more interested in energy efficiency and a longer lasting life span, LED may be the best option for you.

Shapes, Styles, and Sizes of Christmas Lights

Mini String Lights

Mini string lights' versatility make them the most popular style of holiday lights because of their versatility. Available in either incandescent or LED technologies and in a wide range of color options, these light strings are the perfect addition to almost any Christmas lighting design. All of our mini string lights are very reliable and stay lit if a single bulb fails. Our incandescent mini string lights come with replacement lamps.

C7 and C9 Bulbs

Outdoor lights are most often C7 or C9 string lights. Either size is an excellent choice for those that want a more classic feel for their Christmas lighting. The difference between these types of outdoor lights is primarily the size of the bulb. The number after the "C" represents the diameter of the bulb in eighths of an inch; for example, C7 bulbs are 7/8" or .875" in diameter. The larger the number, the bigger the bulb. These string lights are available in several colors and in either LED or incandescent options. If you're looking to customize the colors in your Christmas lighting design, we also offer C7/C9 light strands and bulbs sold separately.

Battery Operated Lights

Illuminate mantles, wreaths, or even centerpieces without needing to worry about having a nearby outlet or running an extension cord with battery operated lights. From lit ribbons and InvisiLite strings to LED spheres and mini light strings, you're sure to find the right battery operated lights for this holiday season.

Net Lights

You can't go wrong with net lights or tree wrap lights for trees, columns, and bushes. Net lights are lights organized in a “net”, designed to be laid over bushes or shrubs to add a touch of flair to your landscaping during the holiday season.

Icicle String Lights

Icicle string lights are a great way to add unique styling elements to your Christmas light display. Icicle Christmas lights look best hanging along deck railings, from gutters, under eves, or around windows. Since icicle lights come in a variety of lengths and spacing, it’s important to stay consistent by purchasing the same length for your entire application. This way your home looks consistent and well put together. Another important note is to keep the lighting technology the same. Avoid trying to connect LED icicle lights to incandescent icicle lights to prevent electrical issue.

Tree Wrap Lights

Easily and effectively wrap tree trunks with Christmas lights to create some holiday spirit in your yard. Tree wrap lights are shaped similarly to net lights, but are designed to hug or wrap a cylindrical object like a tree truk, post, or pole.

Check out our Christmas lights by application page if you need further insight on how to best use your light strings! Or do you need technical help with your holiday decorations this year? Our lighting experts are available at 1-800-624-4488 to help you make your Christmas really shine!

How Much Christmas Lighting Do You Need?

Roof

Unfortunately, there’s no easy answer. There are many factors to consider, such as how much house are you trying to light? Are there dormers that need to be lit? Are all sides of the house going to be lit? If you’re wanting to get the most accurate estimate of how many stringers you’ll need, you need to measure your roof line.

Bushes

Average size bushes or hedges should be fine with one 2’ x 4’ net light, but you can add more for bigger bushes or get different sized net lights.

Trees

You have a couple options here. First, you could go with a tree wrap lighting setup. Similar to net lights, tree wrap lights are a net shaped lighting kit designed to wrap around tree trunks easily.

If tree wrap lights aren’t something you’re interested in, mini lights are a great alternative that allow you to customize the actual wrapping itself. You can make tighter wraps for a “fuller” look, or you can do a loose wrap for larger trunks.

Windows

For average single-width windows, one 14’ - 18’ mini light stringer should work fine. For larger windows you’ll need longer stringers or maybe even multiple stringers.

Doors

For average width and height doors, one 16’ mini light stringer will work. But since doors come in many sizes, you should measure and find a stringer to fit more accurately.

Railings

The most common type of lighting for railings is mini lights. However, if you want bigger bulbs, you can also use C7 or C9 stringers. For metal railings, you can use magnetic clips for easy installation.

Pillars

For pillars, you have the same options as trees since the application is so similar. Tree wrap lights will make for easy installation, otherwise mini lights wrapped around the pillar will work just fine.

What Color Lights Should I Get?

The color you choose for your lights is completely subjective to user preference. From solid traditional warm white to multi-color, there’s a wide variety of colors and patterns to choose when decorating your home with lights.

Once you determine the length of stringers you need, you can truly customize your Christmas lighting display by carefully picking the color, or colors, of bulbs to add to the stringers. Some homeowners opt for solid colors, while others create complex patterns between the house, to the trees, and even down to the pathway lights. You can truly customize your Christmas lighting setup however you’d like.

Christmas Lights FAQs

Here of some of the most frequently asked questions about Christmas lighting.

If a bulb on a string of LED lights goes out, will I have to replace the whole string?

No. LED strings will stay lit if a bulb goes out. If your string uses C7 or C9 bulbs, you can easily replace the bad bulbs.

How many bulbs can I have in one run?

The number of bulbs will vary depending on the bulb wattage and the amperage of your circuit. You must ensure you don't overload your system by plugging in too many lights to one run. A standard 15 amp breaker can handle 1800 watts (assuming there is nothing else on the breaker) so you can typically run:

• 5W Incandescent C7 Bulbs - 288 bulbs
• 7W Incandescent C9 Bulbs - 205 bulbs
• LED C7s (approx. 0.6W) - 2400 bulbs
• LED C9s (approx. 1W) - 1440 bulbs

You can learn more about calculating the maximum runs of your strings by reading our blog post: How to Calculate Maximum Runs from Wattage

Do LED lights get hot?

No, LED lights do not get hot. LED technology, by design, runs cooler than its predecessors. High output commercial LEDs can put out more heat due to the larger energy demand, but LED holiday lights do not put out enough light to warrant hot running temperatures.

What is the difference between C7 and C9 bulbs?

C7 bulbs are smaller and have a E12 candelabra base. C9 bulbs are larger with an intermediate E17 base.

Are the bulbs on LED mini lights replaceable?

No, our LED mini light strings do not have replaceable bulbs. Each light is a single molded piece designed to protect the string against water entry. If a bulb goes out, the rest of the string will stay lit.

Not sure where to start or what lights are best for you applications? All of our Christmas-related posts have been collected in one convenient place - The Ultimate Christmas Light & Decor Guide. You also find our full playlist of Christmas videos on our YouTube channel. And don't forget, our helpful Christmas light experts are just a phone call away at 1-800-624-4488.