By Sunkanmi Adewunmi
The twinkling of Christmas lights has become an inseparable part of the holiday season, transforming ordinary streets and homes into magical wonderlands each December. While these gleaming decorations certainly create a festive atmosphere, their significance runs much deeper, carrying rich symbolic meaning that has evolved over centuries.
The tradition of illuminating the dark winter season predates Christianity. During the winter solstice, ancient cultures from the Roman Saturnalia to the Celtic midwinter celebrations would light fires and candles to celebrate the gradual return of longer days. This practice symbolized hope and the triumph of light over darkness, themes that would later become central to Christmas celebrations.
In Christian tradition, the lights represent Jesus Christ as the “Light of the World.” The Gospel of John specifically refers to Christ as “the true light that gives light to everyone.” The practice of lighting candles during Advent and decorating Christmas trees with lights symbolizes this divine light entering a darkened world.
Before electric lights, people decorated Christmas trees with small candles, a tradition believed to have started in 16th-century Germany. These candles represented the stars above Bethlehem on the night of Christ’s birth. While beautiful, this practice was obviously dangerous, leading to many house fires.
The invention of electric Christmas lights in the late 1800s revolutionized holiday decorating. Edward Johnson, an associate of Thomas Edison, created the first string of electric Christmas lights in 1882. By the 1930s, electric Christmas lights had become a common household decoration, allowing people to safely celebrate the season’s symbolic lighting.
While Christmas lights originated from Christian traditions, they have transcended religious boundaries to become a universal symbol of celebration, hope, and community. People of various faiths and cultural backgrounds now embrace this tradition as part of the season’s festivities.
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