# What are these "old fashioned" Christmas lights called? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 24, 2014, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516 "2014-11-24T20:21:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516/21 "2014-11-25T14:07:08Z")
> [@astro](#): > > If these lights are expecting UK standard 230V will they operate properly with 120V US voltage? I think you will need a transformer ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516/22 "2014-11-25T14:11:32Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > 1980’s is old-fashioned?! Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516/23 "2014-11-25T16:05:56Z")
I remember [these](http://www.light-bulbs.us/christmas-bulbs-424.jpg). (And the bubble lights.) ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516/24 "2014-11-25T16:41:25Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I remember [these](http://www.light-bulbs.us/christmas-bulbs-424.jpg). (And the bubble lights.) Those were the new thing when I was a kid. They replaced [these](https://www.etsy.com/listing/212303523/christmas-lights-hy-glow-vintage-set-of?ref=sr_gallery_8&ga_search_query=Box+of+vintage+Christmas+light+bulbs&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery)… we had a few sets of those but never used them as they were wired in series rather than in parallel (so if one burned out, the whole string went dark). ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516/25 "2014-11-25T17:48:43Z")
I was looking for an image of something like the one you linked to. That’s what I was talking about, but the bulbs were shaped like the ones in my link. There were two sizes; larger for outside, and smaller for inside. I hated looking for the burnt-out bulb! It’s a good thing my parents never caught me using the larger ones as hand grenades when we played Army. (They made a satisfying pop.) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516/26 "2014-11-25T19:29:59Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > A. Thank you for reminding all us boomers that we are not long for this world. > > B. Aren’t those still in production? I don’t do Xmas, so am not in the market, but I can’t get to a pharmacy window without seeing the stuff. Maybe this was ancient history when I saw them. A. I’m not that far behind you. B. I doubt it. I saw a few like it on ebay that looked to be in great shape but they look like the old ones. I remember that the old strands got to be pretty hot. Certainly only for use on a real tree. It would melt plastic. Each one also had it’s own transformer. So it probably used a lot of juice. So basically fire-starters that were bad for the environment. But they were a lot prettier than new lights and lasted a lot longer. It seems like if you get more than a year out of a strand now you are ahead of the game. ---
**Author:** ![Terry\_Kennedy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c57346/32.png) [@Terry\_Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terry_Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516/27 "2014-11-26T02:46:01Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > How many remember [these](https://www.etsy.com/listing/171224814/25-off-sale-christmas-bubble-lights?ref=sr_gallery_6&ga_search_query=christmas+light+bubbles&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery) ? > Once warmed by the bulb in the base, the liquid in the tube starts to bubble. > > For those with more time than sense: 😉 > Find these in current production. I worked in the factory (in a different division) that made those in the 70’s - Masden Industries on 23rd St. in North Bergen, NJ. They made the glass enclosure and the contents, and then sold the sealed units to a customer (Beacon Electric, somewhere in New England, IIRC) who provided the bases and lamps and did the packaging and sale. I have some that are 3’ (yep, FEET) tall. The chemistry was quite simple\* - the ball of material in the bottom was a mixture of sugar and sodium metaborate. The liquid was methylene chloride. The solid would outgas at low temperatures (even from the heat of a hand) and release bubbles which would float upward and eventually be reabsorbed in the liquid. The trick with the giant ones was to wind a spiral of thin heating wire around them to keep the bubbles from disappearing partway up. The most annoying thing about this factory was that it tended to explode a lot - the machines that did the glass sealing were all 1-offs and old, and the flame would back up into the main gas line, and kaboom. - If these are made today, I’m sure the formula is different - the one I posted would run afoul of safety regulations these days. ---
**Author:** ![PoppaSan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/poppasan/32/189_2.png) [@PoppaSan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoppaSan)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516/28 "2014-11-26T04:15:47Z")
> [@Terry\_Kennedy](#): > > I worked in the factory (in a different division) that made those in the 70’s - Masden Industries on 23rd St. in North Bergen, NJ. They made the glass enclosure and the contents, and then sold the sealed units to a customer (Beacon Electric, somewhere in New England, IIRC) who provided the bases and lamps and did the packaging and sale. > > I have some that are 3’ (yep, FEET) tall. > > The chemistry was quite simple\* - the ball of material in the bottom was a mixture of sugar and sodium metaborate. The liquid was methylene chloride. The solid would outgas at low temperatures (even from the heat of a hand) and release bubbles which would float upward and eventually be reabsorbed in the liquid. The trick with the giant ones was to wind a spiral of thin heating wire around them to keep the bubbles from disappearing partway up. > > The most annoying thing about this factory was that it tended to explode a lot - the machines that did the glass sealing were all 1-offs and old, and the flame would back up into the main gas line, and kaboom. > > - If these are made today, I’m sure the formula is different - the one I posted would run afoul of safety regulations these days. Always wondered what made it bubble. Figured it was a simple chemistry trick. Yes they are made as I’ve gotten some new in the past few years to show the yung 'uns. Shopko, Kohls, Menards, someplace like that in the upper midwest. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516/29 "2014-11-26T04:58:54Z")
> [@Mdcastle](#): > > Next up: LED bubble lights… Light of wonder, light of night, Light emitting diode bright. Power leading, junction bleeding, Guide us to your InGaN light. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516/30 "2014-11-26T05:00:54Z")
> [@CrazyCatLady](#): > > Much as I hate to admit it, the 80’s were 30 years ago. So if not outright “old-fashioned” then at least “vintage.” Hey kids, get off my lawn! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516.md?page=1)