The Great Debate: White Lights or Colored Lights?
Each year as the holiday season rolls in, one question manages to divide households faster than fruitcake: white lights or colored lights? It’s a decision that feels deeply personal, even if it’s technically just about bulbs. Some swear by the soft, classic charm of white lights while others won’t even entertain the idea of a tree unless it’s bursting with reds, blues, greens, and yellows. Somehow, this simple choice has become a defining feature of a family’s entire Christmas vibe.
White lights are often seen as timeless. They give everything a soft glow that feels elegant and peaceful. Think of snowy winter nights, twinkling candlelight, and those vintage store window displays that make you stop and stare. White lights are the little black dress of Christmas decorating. They can look just as good on a rustic farmhouse tree as they do wrapped around a perfectly symmetrical evergreen in a downtown hotel lobby.
But then, there’s the magic of colored lights. These are the lights that shout joy from the rooftops. They feel nostalgic, playful, and full of childhood wonder. For a lot of people, colored lights take them right back to decorating the tree with their grandparents, eating cookies, and watching Rankin-Bass specials on a boxy TV. There’s something unapologetically cheerful about a string of blinking rainbow bulbs that white lights just can’t imitate.
Over the years, the trends have bounced back and forth. There was a time when white lights were the ultimate sign of taste. Everything was “clean,” coordinated, and carefully styled. But lately, there’s been a noticeable comeback for color. More and more people are leaning into the chaotic joy of a tree that doesn’t match and doesn’t care. And honestly, it makes sense. After everything the world throws our way, maybe we want a Christmas tree that looks like it’s having as much fun as we are.
In the end, whether your tree sparkles in snowy white or blinks like a candy cane fever dream, it’s the joy of putting them up, the memories they hold, and the glow they cast on wrapped gifts that matter most. But if you’re decorating with someone who has a strong opinion, maybe invest in a strand that does both. Your relationship might depend on it.
