Over the next three weeks, Christmas lights across the UK will be switched on before a plethora of excited and enthusiastic families. We will also see a host of famous celebrities perform the deed, with Telford’s local authorities having arguably achieved the biggest coup by signing pop star and reality television sensation Peter Andre.
While you are unlikely to hire a celebrity to turn on your own Christmas lights, however, some households go above and beyond in order to create a truly festive spectacle in their homes. Lighting is a crucial part of this, as it can illuminate a garden space and elevate it above the standard winter scene.
What should you look for in your christmas lights?
Photo source: www.designrulz.com
With this in mind, exactly what features should you look for in your outdoor Christmas lights? Consider the following:
The type of fitting that you want
Not all outdoor Christmas lights are made equal, and while some are small and affordable others are far larger and can cost a considerable sum of money. Those with smaller gardens will probably be more interested in the type of decorative light chains that can adorn trees and pathways, while larger home-owners will be looking to invest in statement fittings that create a significant wow factor. Regardless of this, the key is to understand these differences and target a viable product.
Prioritise LED Fittings
The next step is to ensure that you buy LED fittings, as these are cost-effect and minimise the amount of energy that you consume during the festive season. We are now in the fifth generation of LED fittings, and the range has evolved through the ages to create a diverse selection of designs that also offer style, variety and artistic value to home-owners. Given that you want your outdoor lights to create a visual spectacle without costing huge amounts of money to operate, LED fittings such as the ones displayed here are worth their weight in gold.
Photo source: www.reddilight.co.uk
A Focal Point for your design
Even if you lack the space or financial resources to invest in large statement pieces for your Christmas light arrangement, you will still need a focal point for the design. Illuminated Christmas trees provide a relevant example, as they are strikingly beautiful and provide a strong and eye-catching source of light. This can be surrounded by light chains and even alternatively coloured bulbs, creating a logical layout and design that suits your garden space.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg turned on the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lights just before 9 p.m. on Wednesday, setting off a dazzling 45,000 multi-colored LED lights and a 9 ½-foot-wide Swarovski star that topped the 12-ton tree.
The Rockefeller Center Christmas was illuminated for the first time this holiday season in a ceremony that’s been held since 1933
The holiday event in midtown Manhattan also was watched by millions on television. The tree will be on display until January 7, after which it’ll be milled into lumber for Habitat for Humanity.
Artists such as Mary J. Blige, the Goo Goo Dolls, Jewel, Mariah Carey and Leona Lewis performed.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg turned on the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lights
The approximately 75-year-old tree made the 70-mile trip to New York City on a tractor-trailer from its home in Shelton, Connecticut, last month.
Today Show’s Matt Lauer, Al Roker, Savannah Guthrie and Natalie Morales co-hosted “Christmas in Rockefeller Center,” which aired on NBC.
They dedicated the broadcast to James Lovell, 58, a married father of four and a sound and lighting expert who worked on the tree.
James Lovell was one of four people killed when a Metro-North commuter train derailed in Bronx area on Sunday. He was on his way to work on the tree when the accident occurred.
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This year’s Buckingham Christmas Lights switch on and Carol Service will take place on Saturday, November 30, at 6.00 p.m.
Buckingham Christmas lights will be switched on this year by Donny and Moey, the MK Dons Mascots.
Buckingham Christmas lights will be switched on this year by Donny and Moey
This year there will be an Artisan market in the Old Cattle Pens, selling a great selection of goods from local producers.
Music for the Carols will be supplied by Winslow Concert Band.
The Cadger family from Idaho is showing their Christmas spirit through their annual light display – but they aren’t using any old holiday jingle.
The Cadger family is having a very “dubstep” Christmas after they synced their extensive light show on their Meridian, Idaho, house to a mix of Bangarang and Cinema, both of which are by Skrillex. The video, which was posted on YouTube on November 24, has taken off with more than 500,000 views until now.
The family must be fond of Skrillex’s electronic-style beats because a year ago, their house had the light display synced to the artist’s First of the Year (Equinox).
It takes the Cadgers two months to set up the display, which involves laying out more than two miles of extension cords to decorate the home with nearly 40,000 lights, according to a Huffington Post story.
Cadger Dubstep Christmas Lights House 2012
The display is powered by four 16-channel “Light O Rama” controllers hooked up to a computer, according to the family’s website. They make an effort to use energy-efficient LED lights, according to the site.
The lights are active on Friday and Saturday night from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. the rest of the week. The Cadgers ask that visitors bring food to donate to the Idaho Food Bank.
Huffington Post: Dubstep Christmas Light Show At Cadger Family Home Sets 40,000 Lights To Skrillex
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