Christmas Lights

Did you know that the first Christmas tree lights were actually candles!  Yes people put candles on dead dry trees inside their homes!  Most people only lit their Christmas tree candles for a short period of time, often less than 30 minutes.   Most families kept a bucket of water close to their Christmas tree in case it caught fire, and many times it did!  

     In 1880 Thomas Edison invented the incandescent light bulb.  To advertise it he hung up a string of lights outside his shop so people walking by could see them.  One of his employees realized that this string of lights could be used on a Christmas tree! It would solve  the problem of trees catching on fire with candles.  He made a string of lights, put it on a Christmas tree and called the local newspaper to come take a picture.  The idea took off!  So thanks to Thomas Edisons’ invention and his employees genius idea, we now have Christmas lights instead of candles.