LIGHT UP THE NIGHT WHY DO WE HANG CHRISTMAS LIGHTS? The first string of twinkling lights illuminating your neighbor’s house is always a telltale sign of the upcoming seasonal festivities. Christmas lights are a holiday staple, but have you ever wondered where this beloved tradition started? The tradition of hanging lights on the tree originally started with candles. Because this posed an immense fire hazard, Edward Hibberd Johnson, a close friend of Thomas Edison and vice president of the Edison Electric Light Company, vowed to find a better way to decorate Christmas trees with light. In December 1882, three years after Edison’s invention of the lightbulb in November 1879, Johnson hand-wired 80 red, white, and blue lightbulbs together and wound them around a Christmas tree in his parlor window. A passing reporter saw the spectacle and declared in the Detroit Post and Tribune, “One can hardly imagine anything prettier.” Johnson continued this tradition, increasing the number of lights each year and eventually putting them up outside. But because electricity was still a new concept, many years passed before the fad took off for regular Americans. In 1923, President Calvin Coolidge began the tradition of lighting the National Christmas Tree, which spurred the idea of selling stringed lights commercially. By the 1930s, families everywhere were buying boxes of bulbs by the dozen. Today, an estimated 150 million
Christmas lights are sold in America each year, decorating 80 million homes and consuming 6% of the nation’s electricity every December. Whether you’ll be putting up your own lights or appreciating the most impressive light displays in your neighborhood or town, let the glow fill you with joy this season. Just don’t leave them up until February!
TEAM SPIRIT PERSONIFIED
They may not score any runs or block any shots on goal, but mascots are a valuable part of any team. These goofy or downright strange characters might be overlooked in favor of star players and skilled coaches, but the work they do can’t be overstated. Mascots give a team a sense of identity, like jerseys or a hometown stadium. But they also come with their own personality, bridging the gap between fans and athletes. Here’s a look at Philly’s most famous sports characters. PHILLY’S GREATEST MASCOTS
legal dispute at the time of writing. We hope that by the time this newsletter reaches you, the Phanatic is still proudly calling Citizens Bank Park home. Swoop Despite being the most straightforward of this town’s mascots, Swoop has never had a problem standing out. Compared to some of the other characters he shares a city with, you might think the head of the Eagles fan base would be bland for being just, well, an eagle. But what Swoop lacks in bizarre looks he more than makes up for in stunts. From zip lining across Lincoln Field to outright parachuting onto the field, it’s clear this mascot captures the daring spirit of the team he cheers on. Gritty Now it’s time we address the orange monster in the room. When he first made his debut on Sept. 24, 2018, no one knew what to think of the googly-eyed embodiment of chaos. Pundits in the media referred to the new face of the Flyers as an “acid trip of a mascot,” and “simply psychotic.” But soon, the 7-foot-tall hairball slipped and fell his way into our hearts. Now by far the most recognizable character in the NHL, Gritty seems to have struck a chord with people around the world who want to let their freak flag fly.
The Phillie Phanatic He’s big. He’s green. He’s a bird ? While the species of the Phillies’ biggest fan may be up for debate, this city’s love for him isn’t. The Muppet-like Phanatic has been a staple of Philadelphia sports since he first walked into Veterans Stadium on April 25, 1978. Created to embody the very spirit of this town’s baseball fans, the Phanatic is fiercely loyal and not above pulling a few good- natured pranks on visiting teams. Sadly, the character who was named “Best Mascot in Sports” by Forbes magazine is involved in a
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