This weekend homes across the country will be a little brighter when millions of Americans kick off the holiday season by trimming their trees, and their yards, with holiday lights.
Here are some seasonal lighting tips suggested by GE Lighting veteran Mary Beth Gotti, director of the GE Lighting & Electrical Institute.
- Know Your Lights. When purchasing lights, begin by making sure that all of the light strings are compatible. When choosing the amount of lights to purchase, plan on using an average of 100-150 lights per vertical foot of the tree.
- Go Green. The national tree isn’t the only one that will sparkle with LED technology this year. The use of LED holiday lighting, which consumes up to 80 percent less energy than incandescent holiday lights, may fill as much as 45 percent of store shelves this season. Because LEDs are cool-operating, they can be left on for extended periods, making them an ideal fit for both indoor and outdoor lighting. Because long-lasting LEDs emit less heat, they’re also much more durable, so if one bulb goes out, the rest continue to work.
- Add Movement. Want that snowflake display to sparkle or your eight tiny reindeer to trot? Give the illusion of movement with color changing lights. Many options are available, including twinkling, chasing and fade-in, fade-out styles. New this year from GE are cascading icicles with a circuit that gives off a melting effect.
- Mix Lighting Styles. To make holiday lighting stand out, pair strings of different sized lights together to add depth to décor. On the tree, set a base of white lights at the bottom and continue upward, adding strands of large bulbs and novelty lights for color and variety.
Every year, thousands of tree lighting ceremonies take place all over the country. Draw ideas from these magical designs. One of the most renowned tree lightings is the National Christmas Tree in President’s Park, a tradition that began in 1923.
Source: GE Lighting