It is nearly impossible to walk down the street, around the block or into most stores in December without catching a glimpse of sparkling holiday lights.
Where and when did these decorations became a tradition so strongly engrained in the winter holiday season?
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Christopher Montsilos, a member of the County Line Historical Society in Shreve and owner of a landscape company, is a bonafide Christmas light enthusiast.
Montsilos has been following holiday lighting trends (and the meaning behind them) for years.
The tradition of including lights during the holidays has roots in several winter holidays, including Hannukah, Kwanzaa and Christmas.
For Christmas, many believe the tradition of putting lights on trees comes from a practice early German Christians started when they put candles on evergreen trees.
Montsilos said heavy weights were once used to hold the candles upright as they burned, but for safety reasons someone always had to keep an eye out in case anything caught fire.
The commercialization came after the first lightbulb was patented in 1879. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, advertisements for Christmas lights were seen more widely and their growing popularity led to variations and technological improvements over the decades.
Montsilos said in the 1950s, most Americans wanted large, colorful light sets. That shifted in the 60s when the trends shifted toward white artificial trees with miniature, clear lights with white wires to match.
Lighting effects such as “twinkling bulbs” became popular over the decades, especially in the 1960s, Montsilos said, but are not commonly found in today’s light sets.
While the size, shape and style of the bulbs and light sets have changed over the years, Montsilos contends there are only so many variations that can be done before older styles return.
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One example, Montsilos said, includes bubble lights which mimic the shape and functionality of traditional candles. Bubble-filled bulbs were invented in the 1940s, experiencing a wave of popularity that later died down before returning to Christmas trees in the 1980s.
Why do so many enjoy putting up colorful displays during the holidays?
Light, in many religions, is an important symbol.
In Judaism, the festival of lights, also known as Hanukkah, is an eight-day celebration where a candle is lit each night. Kwanzaa also includes a nightly candle-lighting ceremony with seven candles.
When it comes to Christmas, some believe the idea behind lights relates back to the Christian faith and how many Christians view Jesus as “the Light of the World.”
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For others, putting up lights can be a reminder of happy times and getting together with loved ones.
“To me, it's a part of the warmth and love of the holiday season,” Montsilos said. “It makes them (people) happy. It's cheery. So those things all put together, I think (that’s) why it's endured so long.”
Early strands of lights looked much different than the ones we see today. Montsilos said wires used to be covered by cloth and had, on average, seven lights per strand.
More recent strands will have upwards of 100 miniature lights and roughly 2 inches between each bulb, which can make decorating with them hard, Montsilos said.
In recent years, computer-controlled light displays and mini-Christmas light projectors have become increasingly popular.
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Trends may come and go but Montsilos believes the seasonal practice of hanging holiday light will stick around for future generations.
“The future Christmas lights, I tend to think that they're gonna be with us for a while,” Montsilos said. “Yeah, I don't think they're gonna disappear. I really I don't think so.”
Reach Rachel Karas at rkaras@gannett.com