Why don't people use coloured lights anymore?!

[80sColourfulChristmas]

I was born in the early eighties and I have fond memories of colour, colour & more colour at Christmas! We even had those god-awful foil decorations criss-crossing the ceiling of the living room. Foil honeycomb balls dangling and giant unfolded foil stars.

The foil I don't miss particularly, but what has happened to colourful lights?!

I realise that with the (much needed) switch to LED, the new multi coloured lights aren't quite as pretty as they used to be (why is that?!) but why has this meant that seemingly the majority of people have defaulted to a simple set of boring white lights with just a handful of plain, boring ornaments on their tree?! (Still looks pretty of course it just isn't Christmas as I know it!)

I remember looking admirably at our beautiful tree as a child, stuffed full of all kinds of colourful glass ornaments which had been passed down through my Mum's family from the 1800s. The prettiest tinsel you've ever seen, lametta, beads, bells on beads, the lights had lovely cone shaped 'petals' round them so they glowed beautifully, reflecting off the glass, lametta and tinsel. It was stunning. Fond memories.

Can't have just been us, surely? Anyone else still go for the overloaded, 80s style multicolored Christmas look?!

This year I've ordered LED multi coloured cluster lights for the first time, but still have some traditional style lights for the tree and have used them every year until now. Not sure how pretty our tree is going to look....

We're having coloured lights this year! After years of white/warm white, I think they're due a comeback

For years we had white lights as coloured were looked down on. When our last lot broke we replaced with coloured and I love them.

I've got coloured lights. And loads of mismatched tinsel and tree decorations that are a total Mish mash. The kids do the tree. It's 70s 80s type scene all the way.

I don't understand the point of a tasteful Xmas tree tbh. They're supposed to be overloaded and garish!

You can do your decs however you want op! I always have done

@LittleCabbage

I am so with you OP. I loved the coloured lights, tinsel, etc of the eighties but for years felt as though I should do more "tasteful" white lights and some kind of garlands instead of tinsel, just because that seemed the done thing. But our tree just never felt pleasing.

The year before last, I abandoned the modern rubbish, changed to coloured lights (agree - have to be static, not flashing, although a slow and gentle twinkle would be acceptable), added fat strands of tinsel, and continued with all the stuff our kids make, and it was finally pleasing.

Tree being delivered on Friday...... can't wait!

I'd love to see it once it's done!

@AlexisIsMySpiritAnimal

We have coloured lights! I went through a classy, white only stage but I've found my way back

That's beautiful!!

I love the blue and clear lights especially the icicle ones outdoors!

@Rosalisa

I loved the coloured lights my parents had in the seventies. They were shaped like lanterns and bluebells. The jewel colours always seemed synonymous with Quality Street chocolates to me.

Not a fan of electric blue flashing lights. My former neighbours opposite had them and it'd take me weeks to stop thinking the emergency services were outside.

Hahahaha!!! 💙😆

I think the colour is needed this year, we usually go white but I've bought a few sets of coloured lights and hope I have enough to balance the white.
It's been a crap year, anything to be bright, colourful and raise a smile is good.
I can't quite get DH to go in for foil on the ceiling but did make paper chains for the hallway and sneaked in some snowflake window stickers

I've got "Berry" fairy lights for the tree which I've set to randomly cycle through the various colours slowly.

They've got several settings and the bulbs are mostly opaque so not too eye piercing. They don't twinkle, they glow but I think they are very pretty.

I love multi coloured and put them in the window around DS's bedroom.
I actually went to buy multi coloured outside ones but they had sold out of every single multi coloured light. According to the shop assistant they're really popular this year as they were struggling to get them back in stock.

@GertiMJN

The memories of childhood are so powerful aren't they?

I was born in the early eighties and I have fond memories of colour, colour & more colour at Christmas! We even had those god-awful foil decorations criss-crossing the ceiling of the living room. Foil honeycomb balls dangling and giant unfolded foil stars.

I'm a couple if decades older and my memories are of tissue paper decorations. Strings of concertina garlands, honeycomb bells and balls and lick&stick paper chains. We also folded crepe paper ones too.
I remember being horrified by the new fangled foil versions But yes colour all the way.

And the endless wait as every bulb in the set had to be checked by replacing so you could find the bulb that had blown.

Happy memories

I could relate to some of that, in fact the lick & stick paper chains I did with my little girl the other day. They're everywhere in our house now!

@Angel2702

For years we had white lights as coloured were looked down on. When our last lot broke we replaced with coloured and I love them.

Nice. You love Kevin the Carrot!

I love coloured lights, but agree that they seemed more colourful when I was a child (in the ‘80’s)

I have colourful lights, tinsel, colourful baubles on our main real tree 🌲. Modern themed trees bore me! The colourful lights are magical 😁

@Angel2702

For years we had white lights as coloured were looked down on. When our last lot broke we replaced with coloured and I love them.

Omg that's gorgeous! Traditional lights I take it? Not LEDs??

I also hate the cool white ones. If I do use white ones I prefer the warm!

Our tree always looks like a Christmas elf threw up all over it....mismatched, coloured lights, home made decs mixed in with baby’s first Xmas and some garish ones the children have chosen each year....exactly like the one I had as a child, and I love it! Has to be real, the smell when you walk into the room....that’s Christmas.

You just reminded me of those horrible foil things. We had 4 chains going from the corner to the middle then an unfolding ball or star in each quarter. Tacky as anything but a lovely memory! Thanks OP you made my day

Paperchase have some fab (very twee!) colourful decorations if anyone feels their tree is lacking!

Kevin the Carrot & family are popular in this house too 🥕

I also remember our Christmas tree was made of a thick metal wire with toilet brush-like branches. Lasted my entire childhood and more. This year I have scoured the internet and cannot find anything like it. Not a 7ft one anyway.

Despite all my talk of Christmas trees, we still haven't put ours up. We don't until after Dec 10th. Gives me a while to find a suitable new one!

I just got coloured lights from Argos. I don’t do a classy Christmas - the more lights and tinsel the better as far as I’m concerned.

We have outdoor ones but my parents both think coloured lights are 'common' now (we had them every year growing up).

I'm yet to have my own tree as we were waiting to get the living room done which hasn't happened due to covid and lockdown etc, but next year (fingers crossed) when it's all done, you can guarantee I'll have coloured lights everywhere!

@Spanglebangle

You just reminded me of those horrible foil things. We had 4 chains going from the corner to the middle then an unfolding ball or star in each quarter. Tacky as anything but a lovely memory! Thanks OP you made my day

😁🥰🎄

(Image from Google images)

We had these on my granddad's tree, and I remember them fondly.

@DrMadelineMaxwell

We had these on my granddad's tree, and I remember them fondly.

I love them!