Winter Lights: Keep the Glow After Christmas
Winter lights are outdoor lights without Christmas motifs: string lights, icicle lights and net lights in warm white. They can go up in early November and stay until February, because they read as winter lighting rather than Christmas decoration.
What is the difference between winter lights and Christmas lights?
The light is the same. The symbols are not.
A string light in a tree is winter lighting. A lit reindeer is Christmas decoration. Nobody objects to the first in November, and most people take the second down in January.
That difference is what lets you light the house for four months instead of six weeks.
Plan the display so it can change
The practical trick is to think in objects rather than in one big display.
- The permanent layer: string lights in trees, icicle lights along the gutter, net lights on the hedge. These go up in November and come down in February.
- The Christmas layer: LED motifs, signs and figures. These go up at the start of Advent and come down after New Year.
Because both layers connect to the same system, removing the Christmas layer is a matter of unplugging a few products rather than rebuilding the display.
A timeline that works
- Early November: put up the permanent layer and switch it on. Warm white only.
- First Sunday of Advent: add the motifs and signs. See when to turn on your Christmas lights.
- Early January: remove the Christmas layer. The house stays lit.
- February: take down the rest when the afternoons get light again.
Why it is worth doing
In northern Europe the sun sets before four in the afternoon through December and January. The darkness does not end when Christmas does.
A house with light on it through those weeks is pleasant to come home to, and it costs very little. A 10-metre string light at 7 watts runs for about half a euro over a whole season.
Frequently asked questions
Is it strange to have lights up in February?
Not if they are plain warm white. Across Scandinavia this is normal. What people notice is a lit reindeer in February, not a lit tree.
What colour should winter lights be?
Warm white. Cool white works for icicles and anything meant to look frozen, but warm white suits trees, facades and gardens.
Can the same lights be used for both layers?
Yes. String, net and icicle lights serve both. Only the motifs are seasonal.
Do winter lights handle frost?
Products rated IP44 handle rain, snow and frost. Check the rating before buying.
