Philips Lighting blogger Monique Cousineau publishes an interesting Christmas lights trivia article on the lighting giant’s website. How many questions can you get right? Below is the full blog entry:

Christmas light decorations. (LEDinside/ Philips Lighting)

Christmas is less than a month away and I’m hearing my colleagues and friends complain about how they are not in the Christmas spirit. My duty here is to help you snap out of it. I can’t do anything about the lack of snow but perhaps a little Christmas trivia will give you the friendly nudge you need to get into the holiday season.

Outdoor Christmas light installations make me smile. Alright, I must admit that some do make me squirm and cringe but for the most part they do succeed in putting me in the “Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year” kind of mood.

Here is a bit of trivia for you.

Who invented the first string of electric Christmas lights?

A) Thomas Edison

B) Edward H. Johnson

C) Albert Sadacca

ANSWER:

“In 1882, the first Christmas tree was lit by the use of electricity. Edward Johnson lighted up a Christmas tree in New York City with eighty small electric light bulb. It should be noted that Edward Johnson created the first string of electric Christmas lights that were then mass produced around 1890. By 1900, department stores started using the new Christmas lights for their Christmas displays.”

Where and when did the first outdoor public electric light Christmas display take place?

New York 1890

Amsterdam 1900

London 1910

Carlifornia 1920

If you said that it took place in 1920, in Altadena California on Santa Rosa Avenue now called Christmas Tree Lane, you are right. Approx. 135 Deodar Cedar trees now decorated with over 10,000 lights create the oldest large-scale outdoor Christmas display in the world.

Trees decorated with Christmas lights. (LEDinside/ Philips Lighting)

What year were LED Christmas lights first sold in stores?

A) 2005

B) 2006

C) 2007

D) 2008

E) 2009

Warm white LED sets with a color similar to that of a compact fluorescent light were available in 2007 for the first time in U.S. stores.

Which natural wonder of North America is lit up for Christmas?

Niagara Falls, Canada

The Falls are illuminated in the colours of the rainbow – “Currently a total of 21 xenon lights, each with a 76-cm (30 in) diameter, are used to illuminate the Falls. Eighteen are located at the Illumination Tower, and three are located below street level in the gorge opposite the American Falls. Each of the xenon spotlights produces more than 390 million peak beams and has a brilliance of 250 million candlepower.”

Colorful lights llght up Niagra Falls. (LEDinside/ Philips Lighting)

From November to end of January, the Winter Festival of Lights turns Niagara Falls into a winter wonderland. It is one of the premier illumination festivals in North America with over three million sparkling lights along a 6km route. It includes over 125 animated lighting displays and 3 million tree and ground lights which can be seen within the Niagara Parks Winter Wonderland.

Niagara Park trees decorated with Christmas lights. (LEDinside/ Philips Lighting)

What country doesn’t celebrate Christmas but is big on Christmas lights installations?

Japan. The Japanese are great lovers of festivals and celebrations. Christmas is not a national holiday in Japan but since the 1960’s they do celebrate Christmas in a commercial way. That is why every year right after Halloween, the Japanese are quick at work, installing Christmas lights, tons and tons of LED Christmas lights. They are bought in droves and installed in millions, billions maybe even gazillions. Good thing they last long.

Here are a few neighborhoods in Tokyo that will leave you amazed.

Caretta Shiodome is a commercial shopping and entertainment complexe. The installations here are nothing short of spectacular and every year the challenge is to surprise and energize the public with a forest of blue LEDs. It’s impossible not to be awe-struck when in front of these fabulous works of light art.

Caretta Shiodome

Tokyo's Caretta Shiodome Christmas light decorations. (LEDinside/ Philips Lighting)

The Shiodome’s specialty is 3D Mapping on the walls that surrounds the forest. “This year Caretta Shiodome hosts the “White X’mas in the Sea” featuring a vast ocean of LED lights and a project mapping display that illuminates and animates the walls of the shopping center.” Every day until December 25th, as soon as night falls, a light show with 3D projections takes place every 20 minutes.

Roppongi Hill

Tokyo Roppongi Hill Christmas lighting decorations. (LEDinside/ Philips Lighting)

Roppongi Hill is another neighbourhood of Tokyo that goes all out. The trees along Keyakizaka Street are all illuminated with Tokyo Tower in the background lit up with seasonal colors. Every hour for a period of 10 minutes the lights turn red.

Starlight Garden in Tokyo Midtown demands respect with 280,000 blue LEDS lights spread out on the ground creating a fairy tale world.

Tokyo's Starlight Garden unreal Christmas lighting decorations. (LEDinside/ Philips Lighting)

Tokyo and Niagara Falls, two cities worlds away that know a thing or two about capturing the magic of the holidays with their Christmas lights installations.

So get up, shake it off and light up for Christmas!

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