What is the real purpose and meaning of Christmas lights?

Answer

From my understanding holiday "lights" were first invented by a employee of a telephone company (at the moment I do not know his name but is recorded else where on the internet).

Based on that point information and assuming your talking about electric ornamental christmas lights the purpose of christmas lights was to be decrative and festive.

If you go back even further into history the tradition of lighting Candles and placing them directly on the tree is also part of the anceint holiday tradition. While there is no definitive reason for this tradition; I am apt to believe that candles on the tree were originally used to remind the viewer of the starry night that christ was born on.

Answer

The "purpose" is that they are decorative and safer than candles, which used to be the light of choice. You'll hear a lot of ad hoc reasons for the "meaning" of Christmas lights, but most of them are after-the-fact assumptions, not authentic historical explanations.

Answer

I had read that Christmas lights began shortly after Benjamin Franklin invented light. He put them on a Christmas Tree and the idea was loved and quickly caught on. However, the lights were so expensive that they weren't available to the public for a few years after Benjamin Franklin deocrated the first tree with the lights.

Answer

First of all, Benjamin Franklin did not "invent light." He discovered elictricity. And he would not have been able to put lights on his tree, because the electric light was not invented until after his death. He may have put candles on his tree.

Answer

Go to your local library and check out the book entitled "Holly, Reindeer, and Colored Lights: The Story of the Christmas Symbols" to find the correct answer.

• To keep all of the lights of a Christmas tree from going out if one bulb is defective a current should be used?
• Why is turkey eaten on christmas day?
• In Spain is Santa meant to take you away if you're bad?