Figure 1.--This comfortable middle-class family in 1937 used candles to light their tree. Note they have been lit for the photograph. Also notice the great electric train and toy soldiers under the tree.

Tradition has it that Martin Luther especially liked to decorate the Christmas tree with lighted candels. I'm not sure that this is a historical fact. It did become a Christmas tradition to light the tree with candles. This meant though that lighting a tree was a very special occassion and could only be done for a relatively brief time. Electric Christmas tree lights appeared during the 1930s, but were not very common unyil well after the War. A German reader tells us, "There was electric Christmas tree illumination in the late-30s (when I was about 4 years old). We had at home a 16-bulb illumination string. The bulbs had the form of glass candles. A one-wire connection between the bulbs created a problem. If one of them burned out, it was difficult to find which one, because all the bulbs went dark. Illumination started Chritmas Eve. We lit the lights for an hour or so, and it was re-illuminated for a short time only if we got visitors or the whole family was sitting around the tree in the evening. In my family now we use real wax candles. My wife definitely does not like the electric illumination. In Germany now it is not legally forbidden to use wax candles even if there are childrens in the family. Most German families now have now electric illumination for their trees. Some people put eltric lights outside the home. They switch the lights on at the beginning of December and leave them on untill mid-January, day and night continously." While electric lights were something new and very special in the 1930s, they did not sirvive the War when both illumination and usage of electricity was discouraged. Electrical generation was affected by the Allied bombing. And after the War, elelectrical illumination was not common in the difficult economic conditions. I'm not sure what happened in East Germany. In West Germany the Economic Miracle brought properity and electric tree rights. For many Germans, however, there is still something very special about candles.

Martin Luther

Tradition has it that Martin Luther especially liked to decorate the Christmas tree with lighted candels. I'm not sure that this is a historical fact. It did become a Christmas tradition to light the tree with candles.

Candles

Of course until the 20th century, there was no other option other than candles if you wanted to light the tree. This meant though that lighting a tree was a very special occassion and could only be done for a relatively brief time. There was of course a real danger of fire.

Early Electric Lights (1930s)

Electric Christmas tree lights first appeared during the 1930s, but were not very common unyil well after the War. A German reader tells us, "There was electric Christmas tree illumination in the late-30s (when I was about 4 years old). We had at home a 16-bulb illumination string. The bulbs had the form of glass candles. A one-wire connection between the bulbs created a problem. If one of them burned out, it was difficult to find which one, because all the bulbs went dark. Illumination started Chritmas Eve. We lit the lights for an hour or so, and it was re-illuminated for a short time only if we got visitors or the whole family was sitting around the tree in the evening. In my family now we use real wax candles. My wife definitely does not like the electric illumination. In Germany now it is not legally forbidden to use wax candles even if there are childrens in the family. Most German families now have now electric illumination for their trees. Some people put eltric lights outside the home. They switch the lights on at the beginning of December and leave them on untill mid-January, day and night continously." I recall as an olly slightly older boy in America during the 1940s having the same candle lights. They had little bubbles and were my favorites. We had them mixed in with regular bulbs. And like our German reader, they all went dark when one burned out. But because there were more than 16--it was a major undertaking to find the bad light.

World War II (1939-45)

While electric lights were something new and very special in the 1930s, they did not survive the War when both illumination and usage of electricity was discouraged. Electrical generation was affected by the Allied bombing.

Post-War Germany

After the War, elelectrical illumination was not common in the difficult economic conditions. I'm not sure what happened in East Germany. In West Germany the Economic Miracle brought properity and electric tree rights. For many Germans, however, there is still something very special about candles.

Individual German Families

Several individual German family Christmas trees are archived on HBC. Most show dark tree. We think that this is because, German families did not commonly light their trees, except for brief periods with mostly wax candles, until after World war II. We see Rosemarie with her brother beside the family Christmas tree, we think in the late 1920s. I think I see a candle, but it is not lit. We note an unidentified boy in front of the tree in the 1930s. The candles are all lit.

Electric Trains

Along with electrical lights came electric trains. Now candles and electric lights making the Christmas tree sparkle seems to fit in wonderully with the Christmas spirit. Now railroad trains are an entirely different matter. It can't of much that is further away from Chrismas than an elric train that symbolizes a massive noisy locomotive be;lching smoke. Even so, along with the manger we see many German Christmas trees with electrin trains set up around them. And this also became stahndard in America as well. The reason is of course that boys (and a good many dads) loved them. We see several examples archived on HBC. Electric trains were surely one of the most popular toys for school age boys. They were popular in other countries as well, but perhaps the most pronounced countries are Germany and America. We see many other German boys playing with model trains.

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Created: 4:35 PM 12/19/2007
Last updated: 6:10 PM 12/19/2007