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Original poster

To hate this about Christmas tree lights?

136 replies

GardenAnarchist · 14/12/2025 08:41

Picture the scene: You've spent ages trimming your Christmas tree with strings of fairy lights, sparkly baubles, shiny tinsel. Gorgeous! Then you switch on the plug socket... and your tree turns into a flashing strobe beacon visible from space. After rescuing any epileptic family members in the vicinity, you grope around the light plug for the control button and it takes 8 (eight) presses through a series of barely distinguishable but eye-watering flickery-flashy-blinky settings, to achieve the steady state of... ON.

Just why??

Why isn't ON the first default setting?
And while we're on that, why is there a setting of "pretend I'm ON, then just as the user withdraws their finger from the button, fade everything to black"?

I have multiple sets of tree lights bought over the last 10 years and they all do this. Some need 8 presses, some 7, some 9 😫 If I put my tree lights on a timer to save electricity, I come downstairs in the morning to a scene like a Star Wars laser battle and have to crawl on the floor to press all the buttons the requisite number of times.

YABU - Only a boring stick in the mud wants a steady glow on the tree. Clearly, at least 8 times more consumers prefer all the other blinky-flashy settings giving the electric storm-cum-Laserquest-kids-birthday-party vibe!

YANBU - Surely there must be a market for tree lights that just have OFF and ON? And maybe a third setting of gentle twinkling?

OP posts:
AlPaccacino · 14/12/2025 20:01

WeirdyBeardyMarrowBabyLady · 14/12/2025 08:55

And there’s the utter chaos one which is a combo of all of the previous options. Who has ever willingly selected that? Static lights all the way here.

My neighbours over the road! Who leave their blinds open and leave them on ALL night! I have blackout curtains, but have discovered they have a tiny gap at the edge. Aaargh!

FlyingCatGirl · 14/12/2025 19:59

SueDunome · 14/12/2025 19:29

So, why not just remove the plug (that has the sequence changer in) and rewire them to a standard plug?

No, it's not something to fuck about with it case it causes a house fire, insurance won't pay out either for very dangerous plug modifications.

Frayalight · 14/12/2025 19:59

Lilyhatesjaz · 14/12/2025 08:53

I hate modern tree lights they are too bright. We went to a national trust house that had lots of beautifully decorated trees but you couldn't see the decorations as the led lights were so bright.
They are also too blue which sometimes gives me migraine.

Totally agree. This year one of my set of lights broke and the replacement ones were such bright LEDs which now seem to be the norm. Incandescent lights are more expensive. Bring back the old lights!

NinaGeiger · 14/12/2025 19:56

Our lights actually just do steady on and this thread has made me appreciate it more. They were from Homebase RIP.
It reminds me of a time I had a boyfriend who was quite chaotic and at one point something went wrong with the fusebox and the circuit in the house for lights was permanently off. Rather than get it fixed he just got by for a while with various lights that plug into sockets.

In the kitchen/living room, the only lighting was from fairy lights and every single time we put them on, we had to click through about 7 settings to get steady on, and infuriatingly, every time we used the ignition button on the cooker it put the fairy lights onto the next setting. So you'd be cooking and suddenly plunged into flickering darkness and have to run across the room to the controls and every time you'd think "phew, back on steady" but then just as you got back to the cooker you'd realise it was actually very slow fade rather than steady.

MarbleDrive · 14/12/2025 19:52

Hear hear. Our neighbours opposite have a gazillion lights flanking the steps up to their house and they are on flashing mode. We don’t have curtains in any downstairs rooms so I can’t help but see them, and they are irritating me in their tastelessness.

Bananas52 · 14/12/2025 19:48

Mine are only ‘on’ from Habitat — they are fab

NorwayTruce · 14/12/2025 19:36

I like a slow twinkle

BertSymptom · 14/12/2025 19:35

YANBU this used to drive us mad. Especially when you get so trigger happy with the clicking through you miss the one you want and have to go back round again! Who even has theirs on the violent flashing setting?

We got cheap new ones this year as we’ve switched from warm whites to multicoloured and the ones we got from The Range go straight on, no messing about. Haven’t even bothered checking if there’s another setting. Highly recommend.

Middleagedspreadisreal · 14/12/2025 19:33

Tinsel? Yuk.

KhakiAnt · 14/12/2025 19:31

Phillips Hue. Game changer!

FadedRed · 14/12/2025 19:30

deeahgwitch · 14/12/2025 18:13

Could your techie dh design a gentle twinkling set of battery operated fairy lights ( preferably cluster lights rather than string lights ) @FadedRed ?
The only other option they could offer (NB as Option 1 )!
I think we’re on to something here.
Next stop Dragons Den 😂

😂 He said he would have a think…
The problem would be the amount of power needed for the ‘device’ would probably lessen the batteries life, but he loves a challenge, and is currently looking at an electronic parts website.

justpassmethemouse · 14/12/2025 19:29

My lights have an automatic timer to be on for 8 hours and off for 16, so when they turn back on they’re already on the ON setting. If only I’d actually remember to turn them on at 4pm so this would work 🤦‍♀️

SueDunome · 14/12/2025 19:29

So, why not just remove the plug (that has the sequence changer in) and rewire them to a standard plug?

AprilinPortugal · 14/12/2025 19:27

Agree!!! Was thinking this tonight! Every set of lights I've bought this year are exactly like that! Seems to be a thing!

ChubbyPuffling · 14/12/2025 19:15

We have a number of sets of lights, but all of them - battery or mains operated remember their settings. Yes we have to cycle through when we first set the lights up or put in new batteries, but not every night. Weird.

Original poster
GardenAnarchist · 14/12/2025 19:14

Joeninety · 14/12/2025 18:17

Same here with our 50 year old lights ! Tradition, not five minute gaudy fashions !

Show quote history

There must have been a period of madness, somewhere between 50 years ago and within the past couple of years, when the gimmicky "the more 'functions' the better" sodding migraine-inducing flashing strobing rave Christmas lights were in the ascendency... which happens to be the exact time window that I've bought all my strings of lights in 😭

So far nobody on this thread has owned up to preferring the hyperactive mad flashing settings or the fading-house-into-pitch-darkness-every-10-seconds settings. Because I would really appreciate an explanation of why!

OP posts:
LostMySocks · 14/12/2025 19:09

Lilyhatesjaz · 14/12/2025 08:53

I hate modern tree lights they are too bright. We went to a national trust house that had lots of beautifully decorated trees but you couldn't see the decorations as the led lights were so bright.
They are also too blue which sometimes gives me migraine.

You need warm white. These are much less bright

gallopingissuchfun · 14/12/2025 19:05

Oh god, yes. That ‘pretend to be on’ drives me insane.

Thistooshallpsss · 14/12/2025 18:54

The plug on my outdoor ones won’t fit in the outdoor socket so last year I invested in a special box that allowed me to put a connector in all waterproof and nice. This year the box filled half full of water surprised we haven’t all been electrocuted. Anyway fiddled with it and added a timer so I didn’t have to grope outside at midnight. Box fills with water again and lights rotate through crazy cycles. Have resorted to a large plastic bag over the kit carefully reset the timer and flashy button and it seems to be working… except it’s resorted to wild flashing fading etc etc. Fortunately my neighbours can’t see them from their bedroom. Last night my little granddaughter wanted to go outside and there was a bright torch where there is NEVEr anyone about and eventually someone shouts out“are you ok” yes of course just admiring my crazy lights and wondering what you were doing down in the woods in pitch darkness???

TeenToTwenties · 14/12/2025 18:52

friedaddedchilli · 14/12/2025 18:48

What?! Ours definitely don't remember jack shit. Eight presses every time. Or six or some other random number to get to Always On mode.

Show quote history

Our outside and inside lights are multifunction. We have them on a timer and they definitely come on steady burn once initially set correctly.

friedaddedchilli · 14/12/2025 18:48

TeenToTwenties · 14/12/2025 08:44

YANBU. We only use 'steady burn' too.
At least they remember the setting so you don't need to do it each time.

What?! Ours definitely don't remember jack shit. Eight presses every time. Or six or some other random number to get to Always On mode.

FoxRedPuppy · 14/12/2025 18:41

DisplayPurposesOnly · 14/12/2025 08:48

Pretty sure mine are just on (not put tree up yet). Possibly on/twinkly/off.

My hate is why tree lights are in a loop, such a PITA to put on. A single line would be so much easier.

Vall of mine are in a line not a loop.

longtompot · 14/12/2025 18:40

Oh yes, I agree @GardenAnarchist Another bugbear is when you are pressing through the settings, miscount and what starts out to be static turns into a veritable medley of migraine inducing flashing 🌟🌟🌟

Theresabatinmykitchen · 14/12/2025 18:40

I purchased some new warm white lights this year, when did warm white become bright enough to blind you? Warm white used to be a soft gentle light, now they burn my retinas, can’t imagine what the proper white ones are like nowadays.

FlyingCatGirl · 14/12/2025 18:39

I'm so glad it's not just me that's wondering where the soft, gentle twinkling lights have gone and why sets now are like a harsh nightclub!

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