LED Christmas Lights - Christmas Tree Lights That Reduce Your Fire Hazard

Most of us use LED Christmas lights on our Christmas trees these days, and with good reason. LEDs - Light-Emitting Diodes - give off very little heat, make better use of electrical power, and if one does stop working it won't cause the whole string to cut out. With no filament, they're not as fragile as incandescent bulbs.

Their initial cost is mitigated by the fact that LED lights will last for many years. And they only need ten per cent of the current used by the incandescent bulbs they replace - an important point when you factor in the rising cost of electricity. Along with this comes a reduced danger of fire caused by overheating, since LED lights don't generate much heat.

Today you can find LED lights in many colors. They can blink, or twinkle, and come in a variety of designs. The bulbs, made of hard plastic instead of glass, last a lot longer than the old kind and can easily be rolled up for storage.

Putting up your decorative lights during the Christmas holiday season is a fine tradition.

For me, it's the highlight of Christmas. Taking the time to erect your tree and decorate it means the Christmas season has finally arrived, and it brings a special atmosphere to the house that lasts clean through to the new year.

The Christmas tree symbolizes the holiday season - and you'll hardly ever see a decorated tree without strings of twinkling lights. But when did this all start?

The illuminated Christmas tree dates back to the 17th century, when people fixed candles to the tree's branches with melted wax. Obviously, this was back in the days when the potential fire hazard was perhaps taken less seriously than it would be now. Later, people began to use small lanterns and glass balls to hold the candles.

Eventually, inventor Edward Hibberd Johnson made the first electrically illuminated Christmas tree. He displayed the tree at his 5th Avenue New York home in 1882, lit by 80 red, white and blue electric incandescent light bulbs. The notion caught on, and by 1900, businesses were displaying Christmas lights in their stores. Being too expensive for the average person, electric Christmas lights didn't come into general use until the 30s.

Since the 60s, it's become the custom to light up your windows and the outside of your house with weatherproof Christmas lights. Today, this leads to a sort of good-natured competition to see which household puts up the best display, a fact which leads to some suburban areas lighting up like busy shopping streets as Christmas appoaches. It can be a real pleasure to walk or drive around a neighbourhood that's lit up during the Christmas season, with an outstanding variety of light shows on display.

Many towns and cities lure shoppers with astounding Christmas lighting displays that make Christmas shopping a genuine delight. Even small market towns get in on the act.

When it comes to your own Christmas tree lights, follow some simple safety rules to make sure you have an enjoyable Christmas season:

Use LED lights. They're safer than the old kind and use less electricity.

Check your lights before you put them on the tree. If one of the bulbs is damaged, or any strand shows signs of wear, get rid of it and use a new one.

Don't put ornaments too close to the light bulbs. Some ornaments are combustible and could start a fire if subjected to heat.

Only use the replacement bulbs the manufacturer recommends. Replacement bulbs with incorrect voltage or wattage are a fire hazard.

If you go out, or when your family goes to bed for the night - don't leave the Christmas tree lights on. Never leave a lit tree unattended.

Enjoy the Christmas season, deck the halls, put up your lights - and stay safe.