A Brief History of Christmas Lighting Design
For hundreds of years, light has been intrinsically linked with Christmas.
Since Christians in 17th century Germany began adorning their trees with candles, we’ve used soft, subtle illumination to brighten our lives in the darker months of winter. Although the tradition of lighting trees began with candles, the symbolic use of light during winter stretches back even further to Pagan practices. The most notable of these being Yule – a celebration of winter solstice that involved the burning of logs to ward off evil spirits and welcome in the return of the sun and longer days. Many decorations traditionally associated with Yule, such as pine trees, holly and mistletoe, are still linked with Christmas today.
Candles remained the main source of light for winter decorations until 1882, when Edward Johnson (an associate of Thomas Edison) created the first string of ‘Christmas lights’ for his own tree. As we moved into the early 20th century, these string-style arrangements became the favoured option for tree decoration, as they were safer, easier to use, and over time, more accessible. Incandescent lights remained the de facto choice for the remainder of the 20th century, until the introduction of LED took the lighting industry by storm.
The LED Revolution
LEDs themselves were not a new phenomenon, but throughout the late 20th century they were mainly reserved for indicators and status lights due to their low output and limited colour range. Everything changed in the 1990s with the creation of the blue LED, which made white light possible. This breakthrough made LEDS a viable option for general lighting, and their small form, reduced energy usage, durable plastic casings and lenses, and reduced heat output, made them the ideal choice for Christmas lights. As they became more affordable, LEDs all but took incandescent strings off the tree, with consumers, businesses and councils alike using them to light up their spaces each winter.
With LEDs came an era of creative freedom. Festive lighting was no longer bound by the limitations of its traditional predecessor, cue a wave of new contemporary designs. A notable example of this is London’s Carnaby Street, famed for its over-the-top Christmas decorations each year. Often regarded as the fun, quirky sibling to Regent Street and Oxford Street, Carnaby Street’s wacky, out-there decorations were replaced in 2024 by sleeker, more simplistic renditions. This prompted mixed reactions from the public, with many lamenting the loss of the quirky experience of previous years, a response that underscores just how deepour connection is with festive illumination.
This emotional connection is at the heart of an underlying debate that some of us within the industry return to each year – does LED match the magic of incandescent Christmas lights?
The Emotional Impact of Festive Lighting
On a spec sheet, LEDs outperform incandescent lights, yet many people still long for the nostalgic glow of traditional tree lights. The reason lies in the spectral colour range that LEDs can’t quite emulate. As they emit light within a narrower range of wavelengths, LEDs sometimes appear overly bright and, in some cases, slightly clinical. By contrast, incandescent filaments with their broader spectral colour range, offered a more natural sense of warmth and depth. They also created a subtle flicker, rather than the stroboscopic effect that you get with LEDs, which operate at a high frequency. These small nuances are why we sometimes hark back to the festive lights of yesteryear. The colours of Christmas were rendered in a beautiful way, and the overall effect of light was gentler on the eye.
Ultimately, great lighting is about how it makes us feel, especially at Christmas when its purpose is to elicit warmth and joy. Warm colour temperatures traditionally associated with Christmas reinforce comfort and intimacy, while the reds, greens and blues of multi-colored strings can have a calming influence. Studies suggest that bright colours trigger the release of dopamine, helping to elevate our mood. And because Christmas lights are inherently decorative by nature, we view them in the same way we would a piece of artwork – valued for both their visual appeal and emotional resonance.
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!
