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Decking trees and houses with light is a German tradition. It dates back as far as the 17th century. At that time candles were hung outside and melted or pined onto tree branches to decorate homes of the wealthy. The lights were placed strategically to show the ornament that accompanied the candles.

Despite modern candle-holding improvements such as the candleholder (1900) and small glass enclosed lanterns (1915) the practice of lighting candles on wood bases proved to be dangerous and caused many house fires. In 1882, Thomas Edison and friend Edward Johnson hand wove 80 red, white and blue lights together to create the first string of electric Christmas lights. Although it was a revolutionary product, many people did not take to it until the 1890s.

President Grover Cleveland receives some credit for boosting Christmas light sales when he wanted hundreds of multi-colored electric light bulbs to adorn the White House family Christmas tree in 1895.

Even though Edison and Johnson invented the light strand, it was Albert Sadacca who saw a market in the sales of Christmas strands. In 1917 Sadacca, a teenager, urged his family to sell multi-colored strings to the public. Thus of light began the tradition most familiar today.