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You are here: Home / Language / Where Did the Tradition of Putting Lights On Christmas Trees Come From and Who Started the Custom?

Where Did the Tradition of Putting Lights On Christmas Trees Come From and Who Started the Custom?

May 7, 2020 by Karen Hill

In the sixteenth century, Germans began decorating fir trees with ribbons, flowers, apples, and colored paper.

Inspired by the reflection of stars off branches in the forest, Martin Luther placed lit candles on his indoor tree.

After three hundred years of candles, Edward Johnson introduced electric Christmas lights outside his Fifth Avenue home in New York in 1882.

Johnson also worked on the invention of the light bulb with Thomas Edison.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Which Jewish Tradition Still Influences Christmas Celebrations and How Did the Custom Originate?
Next Post: How Did Chanukah Get its Name, What Does the Jewish Holiday Mean, and How Did the Festival of Lights Originate? »

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