Where to See Pennsylvania and New Jersey Christmas Lights
The holiday season is here, and there are a variety of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Christmas light displays that you can enjoy to kick off the festive season. Who doesn’t love watching a beautiful tree get lit with vibrant lights? Even if you don’t go to an official tree lighting, there are plenty of beautiful light displays on hand for you to enjoy this season. So, cozy up, get festive and get ready to enjoy some lovely Christmas light displays.
Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Christmas Lights
From now through Dec. 31, the hills of Northwest Philly have their fifth annual Manayunk Gets Lit display along the bustling neighborhood’s Main Street, which has the massive corridor illuminated by more than 80,000 holiday light.
In Philly, head from Manayunk’s free Jolly Trolley down Main Street to witness the glory. Starting Friday, Nov. 15, Bucks County’s Peddler’s Village has a bunch of family-focused holiday events, as well as a display of 1 million colorful Christmas lights covering almost every building and tree in the village.
One more option run from Friday, Nov. 15 through March 9, 2025, and that’s Winter at Dilworth Park, bringing holiday greenery to the Greenfield Lawn with the Wintergarden showing. In New Jersey, a popular holiday event is the Morristown Lighting of the Green and Santa Arrival, set for Dec. 1 at noon at Park Place in Morristown. Also, each weekend in December, expect Santa visits and more.
If you’ve ever wondered about the history of the Christmas tree, it apparently has many origins. According to History, “The history of Christmas trees has many roots, ranging from the use of evergreens in ancient Egypt and Rome to the German traditions of candlelit trees that made its way to America in the 1800s. Discover the history of the Christmas tree, from the earliest winter solstice celebrations to Queen Victoria’s decorating habits and the annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center tree in New York City.”
As for the Christmas tree outside of the White House, Christmas Light Source adds that, “the White House saw its first electrically lit Christmas tree in 1895, when it was illuminated by President Cleveland’s First Lady, Frances Cleveland.” They also note that electric lights for Christmas, thanks to Edward Johnson, a friend of Thomas Edison. “The Christmas tree was lit with beautiful hand-wired strings of red, white, and blue lights, which are still favorites today” they note, adding that “this milestone paved the way for the creation of the first string of Christmas lights which were made available for sale around 1890.” Some of the older Christmas songs from around that time are still popular, too, but, of course, there are some great new ones, as well. What’s wild is that today, “an estimated 150 million light sets are sold in America each year, adding to the tangled millions stuffed into boxes each January,” according to the Smithsonian. “They light 80 million homes and consume 6 percent of the nation’s electrical load each December.”
