BY SAFE ELECTRICITY AND ANN FOSTER THELEN
How Christmas lights and rural electrification brought warmth, color and connection to Iowa homes
Long before electricity, people brightened the dark winter months with firelight, from the burning of the Yule log to candles placed around the home. The first recorded candlelit Christmas trees appeared in Germany in 1660 and eventually spread across Europe, reaching the U.S. later in the century.
While the glow of the candles was festive, it also posed a serious fire hazard, so the light could only be enjoyed for a short time.
A revolutionary spark
While Thomas Edison invented the incandescent light bulb in 1879, it was his colleague Edward H. Johnson who created the first electric Christmas tree lights in 1882. He hand-wired 80 colored bulbs around a revolving tree in his parlor, all powered by a generator.
Johnson’s lights were ahead of their time, as electricity was not yet routinely available and electric lights were considered expensive. President Grover Cleveland and his wife First Lady Frances Cleveland helped boost acceptance in the 1890s when the White House Christmas tree was illuminated with colored bulbs to delight their young daughters.
The tradition of outdoor light displays, now associated with driving around to view beautifully lit homes and elaborate light shows, began in North America. This expansion was made possible by the development of safe outdoor Christmas light bulbs and light strings in the 1920s.
Lighting up Iowa’s countryside
In Iowa, rural homes didn’t see the glow of electric Christmas lights until the 1930s and 1940s, when rural electric cooperatives began bringing power to farms and small towns. Before then, kerosene lamps and candles offered only a modest holiday shimmer. When electricity finally reached the countryside, families could string colorful bulbs for the first time, a symbol not just of celebration but of progress. The arrival of electric lights brought a new kind of warmth to rural winters, brightening long nights and connecting communities across the state.
LEDs, smart displays and sustainability
Every holiday season, millions of light sets brighten homes across the country. From twinkling displays set to music to TV favorites like ABC’s “The Great Christmas Light Fight,” modern holiday lighting turns neighborhoods into dazzling shows filled with festive moments when we flip the switch and watch them glow.
Christmas lights have come a long way. Today’s LED lights shine brighter than ever, creating beautiful displays while using less energy and lasting longer. LED light strings use about 80-90% less electricity than traditional incandescent bulbs and can last up to 25 times longer. They also stay cooler to the touch, reducing fire risks, and their shatter-resistant lenses make them safer and easier to handle.
Many communities now offer recycling programs for old light strings, and energy-efficient options make it easy to decorate responsibly. For electric cooperatives, encouraging LED lighting is part of an ongoing effort to help members save energy and money while keeping the season bright.
Behind the bulbs: The technology of light
From the first incandescent filaments to today’s smart LEDs controlled by phone apps, holiday lighting has mirrored the evolution of electric power itself. The same current that once revolutionized rural life now drives innovation in energy efficiency and smart home technology.
Many electric cooperatives are helping members explore these new frontiers, from real-time usage tools and rebates for efficient lighting to systems that make homes brighter and more connected. Each advance continues the story of illumination that began more than a century ago, when light first connected homes to the wider world.
A brighter tomorrow
As we look to the future, Christmas lights remain a shining reminder of how far we’ve come, from candlelight to clean, efficient energy. Each twinkle tells a story of innovation, cooperation and community spirit. Across Iowa and beyond, those bright strands remind us that even in the darkest winter nights, we have the power to bring warmth and wonder to the world around us.
Article by Safe Electricity with supplemental content provided by Ann Foster Thelen, editor of Iowa Electric
