# Christmas tree lights: white or colored? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 24, 2010, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-tree-lights-white-or-colored/561725 "2010-11-24T01:14:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-tree-lights-white-or-colored/561725/1 "2010-11-24T01:14:25Z")
I have to buy a new tree (I’m the lazy artificial pre-lit type) this year and am trying to decide between white lights and colored lights. I grew up with colored lights but I’m thinking of switching to white lights. I’m not married to the idea and Ben thinks colored tree lights are Right and Proper but… I don’t know. I’m referring specifically to bulb lights because I’m not really down with those fiber optic trees, but I’ll leave that as an option as well for those who are. So, what do you use and what do you prefer? ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-tree-lights-white-or-colored/561725/2 "2010-11-24T01:16:58Z")
I’m not a fan of white lights. White lights make me think, “Why did you even bother?” Colored lights all the way, man. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-tree-lights-white-or-colored/561725/3 "2010-11-24T01:28:52Z")
If you don’t have firm feelings on it either way (as evidenced by your not being able to decide), but your SO _does_, why not do it his way? You sound like either might be okay, and it would make him happy. I’m not at all a fan of white lights, either, though. Very sterile looking IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Not\_a\_Platypus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d26b3c/32.png) [@Not\_a\_Platypus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_a_Platypus)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-tree-lights-white-or-colored/561725/4 "2010-11-24T01:54:15Z")
White lights, please. Color can come from the variety of ornaments. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-tree-lights-white-or-colored/561725/5 "2010-11-24T01:58:03Z")
Colored lights are nostalgic. White lights are too corporate. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-tree-lights-white-or-colored/561725/6 "2010-11-24T02:08:20Z")
I’d stick with blue lights only, if I were allowed to. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-tree-lights-white-or-colored/561725/7 "2010-11-24T02:24:03Z")
It really depends on the look you’re going for. Some years I like to have two colors on a tree, like red and gold, in which case I’ll go with either red or white lights. Some years, I want a lot of different colors and styles of ornaments on the tree, in which case I like the different colored lights. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-tree-lights-white-or-colored/561725/8 "2010-11-24T02:31:56Z")
“Other”, aka _both_ colored and white. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-tree-lights-white-or-colored/561725/9 "2010-11-24T02:35:06Z")
Colored? The term is African American and you should have both. Do you want a racist Christmas tree? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-tree-lights-white-or-colored/561725/10 "2010-11-24T02:46:01Z")
I think the white ones are pretty, any other color looks garish and ugly to me. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-tree-lights-white-or-colored/561725/11 "2010-11-24T02:59:34Z")
Multi-color are best. White is way far over-played. ---
**Author:** ![BigBertha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@BigBertha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigBertha)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-tree-lights-white-or-colored/561725/12 "2010-11-24T03:17:14Z")
Always colored. Tho I would love to see a white tree with black lights! ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-tree-lights-white-or-colored/561725/13 "2010-11-24T03:18:48Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > It really depends on the look you’re going for. Some years I like to have two colors on a tree, like red and gold, in which case I’ll go with either red or white lights. Some years, I want a lot of different colors and styles of ornaments on the tree, in which case I like the different colored lights. ME TOO but this will be a pre-lit tree so I can’t just switch out the lights anytime I want (unless I can but I’m betting if it’s possible it’s a huge PITA). In my mind, white will look good with whatever ornaments we decide on in a given year. > [@Markxxx](#): > > Colored? The term is African American and you should have both. Do you want a racist Christmas tree? 😃 I was waiting for it. 😛 elfkin, if I can’t make up my mind I will defer to his preference but he’s already said that if I want to try white lights, that’s okay too. I just like getting opinions on things. ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-tree-lights-white-or-colored/561725/14 "2010-11-24T03:29:20Z")
White lights are nice on a ficus tree year-round or around some architectural feature you want to highlight or as nightlights in a kid’s room or bathroom. Christmas calls for the KABOOM! of twinkling, colored lights. It’s okay if the colors clash with your decor. It’s Christmas, WHEE! ---
**Author:** ![cherry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cherry)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-tree-lights-white-or-colored/561725/15 "2010-11-24T03:48:58Z")
The tree I have up has both so you can plug in colour and white or just one or the other. I got it at Balsam Hill. But I prefer multi though I have both lit up at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-tree-lights-white-or-colored/561725/16 "2010-11-24T03:54:18Z")
I wasn’t sure if you had my option or not, but it seems as if any colored ones are only multi-colored, and I prefer my tree to have only one color of lights, preferably blue, pink, or purple. ---
**Author:** ![Picard\_Kills\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@Picard\_Kills\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Picard_Kills_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-tree-lights-white-or-colored/561725/17 "2010-11-24T04:04:55Z")
My wife grew up with white lights on her tree. I grew up with multi-colored. Since we have to spend all holidays with her parents because we live too far from mine, I got the tree. After seeing my awesome tree, she only wants colored lights now. As far as a racist tree goes… “Once you’ve had colored, you never go back.” ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-tree-lights-white-or-colored/561725/18 "2010-11-24T04:49:00Z")
I only like multi-colored if there are TONS of lights on the tree. As in, each branch individually wrapped. I really love the solid blue, it just seems serene and soothing to my eye. Anyway, I would go with the white lights, because there’s no reason you couldn’t add more with different colors if you wanted to. If it’s multi-colored and you want a change, you would have to leave the tree off and string even more lights. ---
**Author:** ![KinkiNipponTourist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e9bcb4/32.png) [@KinkiNipponTourist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KinkiNipponTourist)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-tree-lights-white-or-colored/561725/19 "2010-11-24T04:56:29Z")
I have white now, but I’ve found myself to be incredibly suggestible. If I see a tree with white lights, I think OH YEAH, classy, understated, serene, romantic. Then I’ll come across a tree with colored lights and be all OH YEAH, traditional, yo-yo-yo-Christmas! etc. I bet you’ll be happy either way, **Silver Fire**. Let us know which type you end up choosing! ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-tree-lights-white-or-colored/561725/20 "2010-11-24T04:57:44Z")
White lights. [Hijack]My ex roommate once put 1000 white lights on a 3 foot artificial tree. Pretty, but you could roasts s’mores with that sucker.[/Hijack] [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-tree-lights-white-or-colored/561725.md?page=2)