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The Modern Christmas Tree Was Basically Invented In New York City
By
Jen Carlson
Published Dec 21, 2011
Modified Dec 21, 2011
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Dec 21, 2011
Modified Dec 21, 2011
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Since Santa is a local, coming straight from Chelsea, it only makes sense that New York also has its stamp on the Christmas Tree. According to Ephemeral NY, the electric-lit tree was invented right here by Thomas Edison VP Edward Johnson. According to lore:
Before about 1900, trees were lit with wax candles—a dangerous tradition that caused deadly house fires every season. But in 1882, Edward Johnson, a VP for Thomas Edison, came up with an idea: He put a string of 80 twinkling electric lights—colored red, white, and blue with crepe paper—around his own Christmas tree in his Fifth Avenue home. His electric lights attracted media attention and became a sensation among the wealthy.
Many were still using candles, however, until Albert Sadacca, a teenager whose family owned a lighting company, suggested that they manufacture colored strings of light for trees, which eventually caught on in 1920. The electric lights can be dangerous too, however, especially for cats...
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Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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