Christmas Lights Were Actually Developed By One Of Science's Greatest Minds
In 1882 Edward Hibberd Johnson had an idea that would change the way we celebrate Christmas forever. Johnson was a close associate of Thomas Edison, whose new-fangled lightbulb invention was still decades away from truly catching on. But Johnson recognized its money-making potential — especially after he realized that people were decorating their Christmas trees with candles. He then seized his chance to use lightbulbs to leave his mark on the world.
A luxury item
It’s hard to imagine just how novel an invention like Christmas lights was. But remember: electricity wasn’t widespread in the late 1800s. Most normal families couldn’t access it, and even if they could, they probably wouldn’t have been able to afford it. Johnson’s lights were certainly a luxury item — initially costing the equivalent of $350 in today’s money.
A bright idea
The idea for electric Christmas lights didn't just fall into Johnson's lap, though. The man had a background in engineering, a sound head for business, and, it seems, an inclination for showmanship. Most importantly, though, Johnson was living in a time when the things we now think of as our time-honored Christmas traditions were just being born.
A holiday tradition
For example, Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol in 1843, while Thomas Nast created the modern image of Santa in 1862. And the idea of putting up a Christmas tree to celebrate the holidays started with the British royal family in 1841. There wasn't even one in the White House until 1856. But Christmas trees weren't for everybody at first.
Money doesn't grow on trees
In the mid-19th century in the United States, only the very rich tended to have Christmas trees chopped down and brought to their homes. But as the century wore on, that began to change. In the 1870s, people would have been able to buy a freshly cut Christmas tree from Washington Square Park — and even pick up a bauble in Macy's. Yet there still wasn't a way to safely light them up.
