Colorful or White Christmas Lights? The Ultimate Christmas Light Debate

Oct 19th 2022

The initial electric Christmas lights were white. And blue. And red. When Edison Electric Company Vice President Edward Hibbert Johnson strung 80 electric bulbs around his Christmas tree in 1882, he set off a seasonal debate that continues to this day.

People seem to have fervent opinions regarding the color of their Christmas lights. Some argue that multicolored lights are distracting; others believe all-white lights are overly subdued.

In an effort to rekindle the true Christmas spirit – and avoid heated disagreements during the holidays – we present the following perspectives on the subject.

White Lights are Tranquil

Advocates of white Christmas lights argue that colored lights detract from a Christmas tree’s inherent elegance. Outdoors, there’s an undeniable purity and tranquility to a landscape adorned with all-white lights, especially after a snowfall.

Multicolored Lights are Joyful

While admirers of white lights find colorful Christmas lights overwhelming, supporters of multicolored Christmas lights see them as cheerful and energetic. They add vibrant hues to a typically dull and dreary winter landscape. Colored lights exclaim: “Let the holiday festivities begin!”

White Lights Provide a Neutral Canvas

White Christmas lights align with the current design trend of neutral tones. They don’t detract from colorful ornaments, allowing your decorations (and the tree itself) to be the focal point.

Multicolored Lights Reflect Seasonal Cheer

Large, colorful Christmas lights – especially modern iterations of the classic incandescent bulbs Grandpa used – capture the unbridled joy of the season. They’re “merry and bright.” While a house adorned with numerous colored lights might resemble a carnival outside of the holiday season, during Christmastime, these colorful lights flash and twinkle in harmony with a multitude of Christmas tunes.

White Lights Offer Versatility

White lights complement any color scheme. They serve as a blank slate for your decorative ideas, allowing you to change themes annually. And they look stunning on both frosted and green Christmas trees.

Colored Lights Can Enhance a Theme

Conversely, multicolored Christmas lights can establish or enhance a theme. Utilize red, white, and green lights for a traditional look, or boldly experiment with solid blue, pink, or purple.

To delve deeper into the debate of multicolored Christmas lights versus white Christmas lights, we examined some renowned Christmas trees.

Iconic Christmas Trees

In 2021, the 79-foot Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree was illuminated with fifty thousand multicolored LED lights, possibly the most famous Christmas tree worldwide. Yet, all other trees in the surrounding plaza were decorated with white lights.

The first National Christmas Tree, installed on the White House grounds in 1923, featured 2,500 red, white, and green bulbs. The 2021 National Christmas Tree was adorned with red and white lights. Notably, 2022 marks the centennial lighting of the National Christmas Tree.

The 41 Christmas trees and additional decorations within the White House boast over 78,750 lights. Photos suggest that all indoor White House Christmas lights are white. Understandably so.

Among the myriad beautifully decorated trees on home décor websites, most interior designers appear to favor white Christmas tree lights.

But for sheer impact, nothing surpasses colored lights. The more flashing, pulsing, and music-synchronized lights, the better. Just ask any winner of numerous Christmas light competitions nationwide.

A Draw

If your discussion about white versus colored Christmas lights ends in deadlock, consider a compromise. Take inspiration from the White House and Rockefeller Center and utilize both types of Christmas lights in your holiday décor. Use white lights in some spaces and colored lights in others.

If that solution doesn’t suit you, some families alternate, using all white lights one year and multicolored Christmas lights the next.

White or Colored Lights: It’s Up to You

Ultimately, the choice of Christmas light color boils down to personal preference. Christmas decorations elicit numerous emotions and memories, ensuring there’s no wrong way to decorate for the holiday.

So go ahead – start hanging your Christmas lights. We won’t criticize your color selection.

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