“You taught me everything I know about exterior illumination, Clark Griswold”

Courtesy of Pinterest, flicker.com

“You taught me everything I know about exterior illumination, Clark Griswold”

by Laura McMahon
December 21, 2023

Decorating the exterior of our homes with festive displays and lights has become a national obsession with contests, television shows and online posts. How did this lighting design craze start? One hundred years ago, on December 24, 1923, President Coolidge lit the first outdoor National Christmas Tree at the White House. The balsam fir sparkled with a strand of 2,500 red, white, and green bulbs. But what was the reason behind this first national tree lighting? Frederick Feiker, vice president of the Society of Electrical Development and an advisor to US Commerce Secretary of State Hoover, saw an opportunity for untapped revenue, according to Vermont journalist and historian Mark Bushnell, in vtdigger. Positioning a national Christmas tree as a way to mark the holiday, Feiker hoped it would encourage people to have outdoor Christmas trees and lights. More tree lights “would mean more electricity use and therefore increased profits for power companies“, Feiker explained in a letter to his daughter. Thus began the annual tradition. During the 100 years of National tree lighting since, the ceremony has been a reflection of the times and has appealed to a broad range of society. From dignitaries, such as Winston Churchill who joined President Franklin Roosevelt after Pearl Harbor, to schoolchildren, who joined President George Bush, the tradition has become a symbol of hope and community. For the last 15 years, energy efficient LED lights have been used to brighten the tree. Eco-friendly and sustainable, the National Christmas Tree is usually a living tree. Preparations for decorating the tree begin as early as February, according to GE Lights. While Americans may start designing their creations a bit later in the year, they are no less elaborate. From Santa’s North Pole workshop, to a Dickens’ themed village, homeowners transform their homes with spectacular designs. This year a couple in New York state displayed more than 720,000 lights programmed to music, setting a World Record for the most lights used in a residential property. Here is southern California, neighborhoods, zoos, gardens, and landmarks become a winter wonderland with lights, ornaments and decorations. Read on in the newsletter to find out where around LA you can enjoy Holiday lights. But if you ask any of us here at SweisKloss, we’ll tell you our favorite is the decorating gone awry in the classic and beloved National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.