It seems that in 1882 a strong of electric lights was made for the theater and the English began decorating with the strings of lights almost immediately. In England these lights were referred to as fairy lights. Do they still call them fairy lights? In the US, however, it seemed to take its time to becoming a household tradition. Most resources say that small towns and large cities used strings of lights before most homes did. By the 50s homes were starting to use the string of lights for decorating with more and more frequency.
Now we have festivals, neighborhoods, sychronized music and all sorts of ways to enjoy holiday lights. Our family does an annual Christmas Lights Tour. The photo I am using is from the tour this year.
I would love to know your traditions around the Christmas lights!
