# What is the origin of chili pepper lights?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-chili-pepper-lights/843843>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 22, 2019, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-chili-pepper-lights/843843 "2019-11-22T23:16:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![agoid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@agoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/agoid)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2019, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-chili-pepper-lights/843843/1 "2019-11-22T23:16:56Z")

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My family has draped the house in these come Christmastime for as long as I can remember. Where did they come from, and how did they come to be associated with the holiday season? My best guess is that peppers used to be used ornamentally prior to the 20th century, and they sprang from there. Any ideas?

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**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2019, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-chili-pepper-lights/843843/2 "2019-11-22T23:55:56Z")

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Chili pepper decorations and wreaths are a Southwest thing.  
Chilli pepper = Read and Green = Christmas. Get it?

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**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-chili-pepper-lights/843843/3 "2019-11-23T11:23:32Z")

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Let’s try a bit of research

> [@](#):
>
> In the 16th century, Europeans were delighted by colored peppers, and used them ornamentally long before they thought about eating them. In the early 20th century, Christmas peppers stood shoulder-to-shoulder with a handful of other holiday plants: Jerusalem cherries, cyclamens, and, of course, the poinsettia.

[Atlas Obscura](https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/christmas-pepper)

So the peppers came first, then the string light version.

Now I want stuffed peppers.