They're as much a part of the
Christmas season as carols, fragrant pines and the joyous exchange of
gifts between friends and families. In fact, Christmas lights have become
such an integral part of seasonal traditions in North America that it's
hard to envision a time when neither electricity nor colourful, sparkling
Christmas lights existed. But it's been just over a century since electric
lights were first used to decorate trees and barely seventy years since
decorative outdoor Christmas lights gained popularity. On November 1, 2001,
Canada Post will issue three Christmas stamps featuring Christmas lights:
one domestic rate ($0.47), one US rate ($0.60), and one international rate ($1.05).
PRE-ELECTRIC TRADITIONS
THE TRADITION OF TRIMMING
THE FIRST DECORATIVE ELECTRIC LIGHTS A FIRST FOR CANADIANS
CANADA TODAY CHRISTMAS LIGHTS ACROSS CANADA
ENLIGHTENING DESIGNS
Decorating with light around the time of the winter solstice dates back
to the days of paganism. During winter solstice observations, many early
cultures used fire as a key element in their celebrations; bonfires, hearth
fires, candles and lanterns all symbolized the warmth and light of the sun
and were central to these celebrations. Ancient Romans would celebrate Saturnalia
for a week in mid-December with feasting, revelry, gift-giving and the lighting
of candles and fire.
The custom of trimming and lighting a Christmas tree likely has its origins
in medieval Germany. Mystery plays involved a tree known as the Pardeisbaum
(tree of Paradise), which symbolized the Garden of Eden. The practice eventually
moved into homes as people would set up this type of tree and decorate it with
cookies, dried fruit, and eventually, candles. Around the middle of the 17th
century, trees were adorned with small candles; a custom which became firmly
established in the 19th century in Germany. The custom gradually spread to
Eastern and Northern Europe, and in 1841, Prince Albert of Saxony (Queen
Victoria's husband) introduced the custom to England. Early candles were
glued with wax or pinned to the ends of branches. Around 1890, candleholders
with clips replaced these earlier methods. European immigrants carried the
tradition across the Atlantic to North America, where it has seen almost universal adoption.
In 1882, Edward H. Johnson, a
colleague of Thomas Edison, used a string of 80 homemade small electric lights
to illuminate a Christmas tree in his New York home. The tree was mounted on a
rotating platform and each of the red, white, and blue light bulbs was wired
individually and connected to a contact which enabled the lights to flash on and
off. Around 1890, numerous small companies began producing strings of differently-coloured
hand-blown Christmas lights with wooden sockets.
One of the first electrically-lit Christmas trees in Canada was erected in Westmount,
Quebec in 1896, and in 1900, some large stores used illuminated trees to attract customers.
The custom spread quickly as more homes were wired for electricity; eventually the
tradition was carried outdoors and the streets, trees and buildings in urban areas
sparkled during the festive season.
Canadians have embraced
the custom of decorating their Christmas trees and home exteriors with electric lights.
Many communities across the country use colourful lights to decorate downtown areas;
illuminating streets and store windows to attract attention and delight visitors. The
more spectacular displays are promoted as tourist attractions and become the focus of
special seasonal festivals – Niagara Falls and the National Capital Region are two brilliant examples.
In 1985, the National Capital Commission (NCC) of Ottawa launched Christmas Lights
Across Canada, a nationwide, co-operative effort to illuminate the country with hundreds
of thousands of brilliant and colourful lights each year. Provinces and territories are
invited to simultaneously light their legislative buildings in a brilliant display that
links Canada's capital cities. On Parliament Hill, spectacular Christmas trees highlight
provincial and territorial involvement while promoting national pride, co-operation and unity.
The challenge facing designers 'Segun Olude, Carisa Romans and Robert L. Peters was that
of portraying the 'feeling' of lights. Photography provided the solution, as its very essence
is the presence and capture of light. Several photographers provided images of Christmas
lights and nostalgic winter scenes, from which various elements and details were selected,
scanned, and digitally re-combined. Through photographic montages, the magic and beauty of
three distinctly Canadian winter wonderland scenes – a sleigh ride in an urban landscape,
skating in the suburbs, and building a snowman in the country – are brought to life with the
introduction of lights. The scenes and colours of all three stamps were specifically chosen
to enhance the Christmas cards and packages which the stamps will grace.
