Marion Faller (1941-2014)

Label Texts by Kelly Donovan

For Children: In winter, many families decorate their houses and front yards with lights—even the trees. To some, these lights represent the stars, while to others, they bring hope and joy. What do you think of when you see the lights? 

For Adults : They appear every holiday season—those tiny, twinkling lights that illuminate the dark December nights—but when did they start appearing? Even though the electric light string dates back to the 1880's, the idea of hanging lights on trees dates back to sixteenth century Germany. Legend has it that Martin Luther (who is known for his 95 Theses to reform the church) looked up into the night sky one clear Christmas Eve and saw hundreds of shining stars above. As the story goes, this spectacular sight inspired Luther to bring the brilliantly lit sky into the home with the use of candlelight—a tradition that has evolved into the modern LED light on a Christmas tree.