# Blue Christmas lights **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 27, 2006, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-christmas-lights/381907 "2006-11-27T04:45:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RetroVertigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@RetroVertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RetroVertigo)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-christmas-lights/381907/1 "2006-11-27T04:45:36Z")
Every once in awhile I’ll drive by a house with all blue christmas lights and my wife will mention how ugly they are. This got me wondering if these lights are actually for christmas, but nobody seems to know why people would put up all blue lights. Are blue Christmas lights actually Hanukkah lights instead? ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-christmas-lights/381907/2 "2006-11-27T04:47:49Z")
[QUOTE=RetroVertigo] Are blue Christmas lights actually Hanukkah lights instead? [/QUOTE] Around here in east suburban Cleveland, where there’s a very large Jewish population, yes. ---
**Author:** ![lokij](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@lokij](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lokij)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-christmas-lights/381907/3 "2006-11-27T04:51:05Z")
We put up blue and white lights because we have an ice sickle/snowflake theme. The cold colors enhance the idea of a wintery landscape with the other decorations we have, I think they look very nice. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-christmas-lights/381907/4 "2006-11-27T04:52:11Z")
AFAIK, except for personal symbolism (see **Elmwood** ’s post and consider Elvis fans), the general idea is that there is no particular symbolism associated with them except that the homeowner considers that pale blue lighting pretty. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-christmas-lights/381907/5 "2006-11-27T04:54:23Z")
Generally speaking, Jews don’t decorate for Hannukah. Despite the hype in the US, it is a minor holiday. A menorah in the wndow is the extent of “display” for the (very few) Jews in my area. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-christmas-lights/381907/6 "2006-11-27T05:30:26Z")
[QUOTE=Shoshana] Generally speaking, Jews don’t decorate for Hannukah. Despite the hype in the US, it is a minor holiday. A menorah in the wndow is the extent of “display” for the (very few) Jews in my area. [/QUOTE] Around here, if you go into the communities that are almost entirely Jewish, you’ll see very few blue lights. Beachwood, ground zero for the Cleveland area’s Jewish community, is almost completely dark. The further removed Jews are from Beachwood, the more likely it is that they’ll have blue lights, presumably to better blend in with their Christian neighbors. In my neighborhood, where only one out of every five or so households is Jewish, blue or blue-and-white lights are more common, but not prevalent. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-christmas-lights/381907/7 "2006-11-27T05:34:29Z")
Some folks just like blue lights. (K-Mart ‘n’ cops f’r’instance.) I have never heard of blue lights as a total decoarating scheme being associated with Channukah. There are just some people who prefer a single-color decorating scheme (or who bought all their lights on December 27 and took what they could find). ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-christmas-lights/381907/8 "2006-11-27T05:54:02Z")
There is at least one song about the “house of blue lights.” In this area, an old gent named Skiles Test had a fondness for blue lights, and it spawned a little branch of Urban Legendry. There were tales of spookiness and backseat sex built around the Skiles Test mansion. The property is now a park. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-christmas-lights/381907/9 "2006-11-27T06:34:35Z")
Personally, I think blue Christmas lights are very pretty. Set up a (green) tree with blue lights, add your multi-colored ornaments, and you’ve got a sweet setup. ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-christmas-lights/381907/10 "2006-11-27T06:36:22Z")
I think the blue lights are the prettiest lights of them all. I find them peaceful and calming. You want to see ugly? Checkout the Hell Houses that only decorate in red. ---
**Author:** ![JpnDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@JpnDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JpnDude)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-christmas-lights/381907/11 "2006-11-27T08:02:00Z")
Nowadays, a few places around Tokyo have blue-light illuminations during the Christmas season. IMHO, they look rather pretty and I doubt there are any ties to Judaism. [Japanese Site with Photographs](http://www.roppongihills.com/jp/feature/vol042/) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-christmas-lights/381907/12 "2006-11-27T08:53:43Z")
I think it’s just that blue and blue/white LEDs are so easily and cheaply available now - they’re on _everything_. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-christmas-lights/381907/13 "2006-11-27T09:20:42Z")
I like the blue lights, too. They cool and wintry. If I do Christmas lights this year, I’ll get strings of blue & white lights. I’m not Jewish. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-christmas-lights/381907/14 "2006-11-27T09:39:50Z")
[QUOTE=Batsinma Belfry] I think the blue lights are the prettiest lights of them all. I find them peaceful and calming. You want to see ugly? Checkout the Hell Houses that only decorate in red. [/QUOTE] Heh. There was a place in my old village that, as you entered, the first house on the right had green lights, and opposite that house, on the left side, all red. The next house on the right was all blue. From there on into the village, it was a mixed bag of many colours. We called the green house “The Minty House”, the red house “The Devil House”, and the blue house “The Prozac House”. I see a lot of “all-blue” decorating at Christmastime. I think it’s just a wintry theme. Blue is a nice calming colour, especially welcome at this time of year when bright, flashing reds and yellows are blinking in your face from every angle, it seems. Nice, subtle blues, greens, and silvers are a nice change of pace for some. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-christmas-lights/381907/15 "2006-11-27T12:18:29Z")
I like the look, I think it is very pretty and have decorated my tree with all blue. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-christmas-lights/381907/16 "2006-11-27T12:50:34Z")
It seems to me that monocolor light schemes are gaining in popularity. All-white, all-red, all-green, and all-blue are pretty popular around here. Personally, I like them better than the multicolor light strings. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-christmas-lights/381907/17 "2006-11-27T15:55:53Z")
I’ve put blue lights on our outdoor tree every year except this one. Can’t find any. I’m not Jewish. ---
**Author:** ![PuddingCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b4bc9f/32.png) [@PuddingCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PuddingCat)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-christmas-lights/381907/18 "2006-11-27T16:13:32Z")
Over here blue lights have become very popular over the past few years, probably coinciding with cheap blue-ish LEDs. They are pretty evenly distributed wherever you go, and we don’t tend to have religion based enclaves around here(at least not in any great way). So, I think they are there cos a) they look nice and b) they look different - well they did. Tim ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-christmas-lights/381907/19 "2006-11-27T16:37:10Z")
I think blue lights are very pretty, cool and calming, especially against the snow. However, I think the new LED lights, which around here are “white” but with a blue-ish cast, are not. I still like the old-fashioned lights the best, especially in blue. ---
**Author:** ![Slypork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@Slypork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slypork)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-christmas-lights/381907/20 "2006-11-27T22:00:02Z")
I put up blue lights one year and my wife said our house looked like a seafood restaurant. I stood back and looked again. Yup, the blue icicle lights, moving in the breeze, seemed to project a wave like glow on everything. I took them down and put up white icicle lights. Now every time we pass a house with all blue lights we turn to each other and say, “Seafood!” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-christmas-lights/381907.md?page=2)