What started as a quaint custom nearly a century ago has now become a holiday tradition. Nearly a hundred years ago, Horticulture magazine published a column in which they noted that some people had begun to use Christmas lights outdoors. It suggested that people plant hemlocks on which they could hang strands of holiday lights.
There are all sorts of ways to use Christmas lights outdoors. "101 Uses For An Old John Deere" by Cletus Hohman, published by Voyageur Press, two old John Deere's on the front lawn strung up with lights. This gave a down-home touch of interest to the residence.
There are many kinds of lights available. The drip-like 'icicle lights' were once a common sight. These are only about a fifth as big as the minibulbs. Now they are being replaced by newer kinds, such as the 'rice lights.' People tire of the same thing every year, and simply want something a little different. Even the large colored bulbs that were in fashion in earlier decades are coming back
Recently, the ultra-tiny 'rice lights' are enjoying increasing popularity. They add a touch of elegance to an outdoor wreath. If you do decide to use these, you'll pay twice as much as you would for ordinary-sized lights. However, 'rice lights' do burn much longer than ordinary ones. Other kinds of lights include 'twigs of light.' These are steel rods wrapped with very small white lights.
Some people aren't content to hang lights on their houses and bushes. They buy special metal frames that can be covered with strings of bulbs. The ones most commonly seen are reindeer, sleighs, and Santas. However, these sculptures are available in most any kind of theme, such as dogs. Whatever kind of breed you have, you can be sure a metal frame is available for it. For gardens, the lighted spiral tree sculptures and the lighted obelisks look very attractive.
I'm not very creative when it comes to lighting. So I'm just delighted with "Holiday Lights!-Brilliant Displays to Inspire Your Christmas Celebration" by David Seidman from Storey Publishing. This is the only book that is devoted exclusively to holiday lighting. According to The Wall Street Journal, people spent $1.2 billion on displays and holiday lights in 2000. Imagine how much that has increased.
