blissbat > objects > bubble-lite

object: bubble-lite

As a special post-Christmas treat, Peter from zoomy.net is guest-objectifying for us:

"Bubble-Lite" electric bubbling Chistmas lights were invented in the 1930's, but weren't introduced until after WWII, when bubble-making resources became available again in quantity. Shaped like candles but without all the fire, they're simultaneously modern and retro, and plenty shiny.

People have been dragging foliage into their homes on winter solstice for a long time. The Egyptians decked the halls with palm fronds, the Romans hung evergreen boughs of various sorts; Europeans liked holly, firs, pines, mistletoe; anything green, really. However, it took Martin Luther to improve on this habit, as he is said to have been the first to put lights on a comandeered tree. According to the story, during an evening's stroll through the woods he was struck by the beauty of the stars shining through the evergreens, so he chopped down a small fir, took it home, and hung candles on it as a reenactment for his apparently convalescent children. The fact that he's named as the hero of this tale probably just means the tradition started in Germany where the winters are dark and Protestant.

Coincidentally, the tradition of Christmas also began in Germany with "miracle plays" about Adam and Eve, which is how the holiday got the name "Christmas EVE." Thanks to davewdg@aol.com and his Christmas Homepage for that one. (Link withheld due to midi.)

The tree-lighting tradition got a big shot in the arm from electric lights, which allowed people who were both fond of shiny things and afraid of burning things to the ground to enjoy a lighted tree.

The famous NOMA Bubble-Lites have the added benefit of being shimmery, like candles, and safe in the context of a respected holiday, which differentiates them from most contemporary analogs, which seem to have more to do with drug abuse.