We all love a bit of a twinkle. Those sparkly, shiny lights are beacons of Christmas, whether they’re wrapped around your tree or adorning the streets of a capital city.
Christmas lights originated in the 17th century when trees were decorated with lit candles – only for a few minutes at a time, though, and buckets of sand and water were kept nearby in case anything caught fire. Modern light displays owe their origin to Thomas Edison, who introduced the first outdoor electric holiday light display to the world in 1880, and his colleague Edward Johnson who created the first string of Christmas lights a couple of years later.
Over time, the tradition spread with many cities creating elaborate, beautiful displays. From London to Japan, here are 12 of the best places around the world to see the Christmas lights, courtesy of Hoppa.
