Zen
12-23-2009, 04:32 PM
According to this Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_lights), the practice of outdoor lighting displays didn't widely begin until the mid 1950's-
"the tradition of decorating evergreen trees with Christmas lights dates back to 1956 when the McAdenville Men's Club conceived of the idea of decorating a few trees around the McAdenville Community Center."[6] However, the The Tree at Rockefeller Center has had "lights" since 1931, but did not have real electric lights until 1956.[7] Furthermore, Philadelphia's Christmas Light Show and Disney's Christmas Tree also began in 1956.[8][9] Though General Electric sponsored community lighting competitions during the 1920s, it would take until the mid 1950s for the use of such lights to be adopted by average households."
I never really gave it much thought. If my mother were still alive I'd ask her what they thought when people started doing that. It must have been a big deal. Remember piling into the car to drive around and look at Christmas lights?
"the tradition of decorating evergreen trees with Christmas lights dates back to 1956 when the McAdenville Men's Club conceived of the idea of decorating a few trees around the McAdenville Community Center."[6] However, the The Tree at Rockefeller Center has had "lights" since 1931, but did not have real electric lights until 1956.[7] Furthermore, Philadelphia's Christmas Light Show and Disney's Christmas Tree also began in 1956.[8][9] Though General Electric sponsored community lighting competitions during the 1920s, it would take until the mid 1950s for the use of such lights to be adopted by average households."
I never really gave it much thought. If my mother were still alive I'd ask her what they thought when people started doing that. It must have been a big deal. Remember piling into the car to drive around and look at Christmas lights?