Merry Christmas, and warm wishes that you can celebrate safely and happily with your friends and family, Celebrating Christmas is a long standing tradition, and the U.S. patent collection documents a steady stream of inventive effort to make Christmas happier and safer. Once of the earliest references to Chistmas in the patent collection is this patent from 1867 on a candllestick for a Christmas tree:

A few years later, an improved Candle Holder was patented with a more patriotic bent:

The fascination with open flames continued, and later that same year, a patent issued on a candle-powered Rotating Christmas Tree:

By 1872, someone finally came up with the idea of at least enclosing the flame in a Wax-Lantern, no doubt saving many trees (and Christmases):

However, candles remained in use and efforts continued to improve them in the 1870’s and 1880’s:

It wasn’t until 1891, when its was proposed to apply electric lighting to Christmas trees:

Best wishes to all for a happy holiday season, and an innovative 2022.