The Great Christmas Debate - #3 Lights Plain or Multicolour

Loughc

So here we are, week number 3, 3 months until Christmas Eve and the weather feels like it's Winter already!

So far we've learnt Quality Street are our favourites and Fake Trees is the way to go. Now we've decided on the tree, lets decide on the lights we put on the tree, do we go for plain white lights or the multicoloured lights?

Plain - The plain lights give a nice warm glow and work with any colour theme/tree arrangement.

Multicoloured - The Multicoloured lights were an institution from the 80's growing up and many of us keep the tradition going today and the multicoloured lights scream party mode.

So once again lets get your votes and reasons for your votes and lets see what we will be decorating the Christmas tree with?

Voting closes Sunday Night and results are announced next Monday Morning.

Jude13

Ah this is too much, why does it feel like I am hurting an old friend if I vote plain?

We use plain lights on the tree as were are supposedly 'grown-ups' nice soft lights not blue. But in the kitchen we have coloured lights above the presses which light the ceiling. We also have those tacky (but brilliant) accordion style shinny ceiling decorations.

My folks have lights on their tree with a hand written date on their box from before they were married. They have a lovely old smell off them (no, not from burning). They are lantern like ones and you can take the lantern part off however the bulb matched the colour of the lantern, belt and braces back then I guess.

We also have soft plain ones for outside, which are used all autumn and winter here, I would call them hipstery ones. I need to put them up this week.

This one is a close call.

Toto Wolfcastle

Multicoloured

I really want multicoloured lights, but the blue ruins them so I’m all about plain. Lovely if you find nice glowy ones, not so good if you end up with cold lights.

We used to have red lights. They were only okay. I was never a massive fan but they were lovely and warm.

KungPao

White on the tree, baubles etc will give it colour. Multicoloured on other stuff like garlands, mantle piece, other small trees...

Loughc

Multicoloured

Yea I'm a fan of plain lights myself now. I loved the multicoloured ones myself as a child. But I love the glow of the plain tree lights.

Beechwoodspark

Multicolored all the way for me. Just more christmassy

Caranica

Multicoloured

Plain all the way! As others have said, plenty of colour on the tree

Baggly

Multicoloured

We have multicoloured but i prefer plain.

Reason we have multicoloured is because......well, kids.

banie01

Multicoloured

I useta to love multicolour.
Then I got married!
Now we like plain

lawred2

Multicoloured

multi coloured looks too ugly for me

donegal_man

Multi colour for me. I've yet to find a plain one that didn't look cold, especially the blue ones that seem to be so fashionable.

Loughc

Multicoloured

donegal_man wrote: »

Multi colour for me. I've yet to find a plain one that didn't look cold, especially the blue ones that seem to be so fashionable.

Have you tried the warm white led lights?

I find they give off a lovely cosy glow.

Call me Al

I had a phase of plain lights for a few years. But the kids didn't, and still don't, like them and when they reached an age where they could express an opinion they said they didn't want them. And I kind of agree. They look extremely chic and shiny etc etc etc but I don't necessarily want my main tree to look chic or shiny.
I want it to be fun and colourful with the children's input, whilst we still have them with us.

DavyD_83

Multicoloured

Yep, we're at eth e sensible white/blue-ish lights stage at the moment; I'm planning/hoping to re-introduce the multi-coloured with the help of my 4 year old soon. She's just the right age to start campaigning I reckon.

I voted plain, because they are 'nicer', but multi-coloured just says Children's Christmas to me, which is what it's all about really.

In the same way I'd choose cleanly painted walls, but still love the scribbles

baby and crumble

PLOT TWIST! We put both multicloured AND plain on our tree - although I voted for multicoloured.

I really don't like "themed" trees. You know when people change their decorations every year depending on their decor or what's "in". I (and luckily my wife is of the same opinion) that Christmas is for brightness and cheerfulness. And I always think that white lights are seen as 'chic' and used on those themed trees.

Now, I will also admit that we have fairy light strung up 24/7 in our house above our fireplace and bookcases in the sitting room. Usually they're ones with little copper shades we got in Ikea but once Decemeber rolls around we have a set of vintage multicoloured lanterns that get busted out.

Multicoloured

I voted plain. I do like seeing the multicoloured trees in windows of other people's homes for the nostalgia but (sorry) I just don't really like them.

Maybe if I had kids I'd feel differently as others have pointed out.

I don't change my decorations every year. That's crazy to me. Although I am still adding to mine. I love an overly decorated tree and I'm nowhere near there yet. I have some decorations that I got from my parents tree my first Christmas away from home and a couple of those my mum got from her mother's tree when she moved out of home. That's nostalgic enough for me.

DvB

Multicoloured

Warm white LED for us. My Mrs has our tree coordinated to within an inch of its life, everything is silver, white or purple. So multicoloured lights are a no no.
Even when I lived by myself I had white lights only, everything was gold, red and green with white lights only, was never a fan of the multicoloured look.


The other question blinking or non blinking!!!??:P

Loughc

Multicoloured

DvB wrote: »

The other question blinking or non blinking!!!??:P

If they're not blinking on 7 different type of settings then I don't want to know about it.

Toto Wolfcastle

Multicoloured

Loughc wrote: »

If they're not blinking on 7 different type of settings then I don't want to know about it.

I love the calming effect of the slow fade ones immediately followed by something that should come with a strobe lighting warning!

DvB

Multicoloured

I'll only say this once... I HATE the blinking lights indoors. Have no issue with the external icicle type & the ones we put in the tress & bushes but indoors, not a chance. I like the consistent warm relaxing glow, the blinky blinky madness does terrible things to my OCD:D

baby and crumble

^ also migraines.

miamee

When I first moved into my own place and had my own tree for the first time, I decided I needed a colour scheme after the madness and variety of the tree at home with all it's tinsel, multi coloured lights and hand made decorations. I decided that everything was to be red or gold or red and gold and I had warm white fairy lights. It was classic and pretty. However over the years the collection of decorations grew and expanded in colours, lol, so a few years ago I bought a new set of very small but plentiful LED multi-coloured tree lights and I love them. They are very soft, not garish and seeing them on the tree in the living room just makes me smile every time. Yes, LoughC they have multiple settings , but I usually leave them 'ON' or on slow fade. The disco setting can feic right off

Tl;dr I voted for multi-coloured.

kitten_k

Multicoloured

My votes goes to plain lights and we would have them blinking also. Plenty of colour elsewhere in the house not needed on the tree lights.

BONDIred

We have both, the kids like Coloured and wife dosnt so when they go to bed the white come on!

freshpopcorn

We've both and I find they both work fairly well on the trees they are on.
I like both equally to be honest I've nothing against any tree lights really apart from very flashy lights on a tree.

chuckles30

Multicoloured

I voted plain because that's what I have on my tree.  Like Miamee, I thought it was very sophisticated after years of tinsel and mismatched decorations and coloured lights on a very bad fake tree - remember the ones that were basically made from tinsel. 
I now have a hankering to buy myself a couple of sets of the retro coloured lights from BT & would love to get my hands on a few boxes of those 'foil bauble' decorations etc and do a completely retro tree.  Maybe a small second tree in the dining room or hall or something would be in order....

jobbridge4life

Multicoloured

Plain on the tree, but warm not 'white' or 'blue'. If they have a very gentle sparkling options I go for that.

No problem with coloured lights, particlularly on large out door trees. I like the plain on my tree because I think it reminds me of candles and the story of the Little Matchs Girl.... (and now I'm tearing up)

Staph

Multicoloured

I like plain lights and I just keep them 'on'. I find blinking lights a real distraction. I love when they reflect off my shiny decorations and the whole ambiance they give when they're on.

jellybear

Multicoloured

While I have a grá for the multi colour lights as they remind me of my childhood, I voted for plain. Although, even with plain I'm picky! I really don't like the white/blue ones....they must have a warm glow

lycan238

Multicoloured

I had epilepsy when I was younger thankfully seizure free well over a decade now. No blinking lights for me I prefer plain lights to coloured. Enough colour in other decorations although I do have a set of red lights for my front door but only got them 2 years ago I think.

I voted plain.

beertons

Multicoloured

Had a quick look at the comments there, thought I had already replied.

I like the white. It's classic.

baby and crumble

Guys I'm legitimately shocked at the attitude to multicoloured lights shown here.

Childish?

I THINK NOT.

:P

Loughc

Multicoloured

baby and crumble wrote: »

Guys I'm legitimately shocked at the attitude to multicoloured lights shown here.

Childish?

I THINK NOT.

:P

I don't think they're childish myself, they certainly remind me of when I was a child as my Mam has the old school coloured bulbs Christmas Lights.

otnomart

Multicoloured

We have plain
but
...
...
....
they are those LEDs that change,
so first they go white, then red, then yellow

Before they came into my life, I preferred plain, so that's my vote

washiskin

Multicolour all the way. I DO have one white set, a retro Pifco set, it's warm and is on a tree with white tinsel.

CheerLouth

Multicolour here! Every year, I think "maybe this year, we'll go rogue and put plain ones on" but tbh, I can't bring myself to do it :pac:

We have multicoloured on both tree - gently flickering (not strobe, they do my head in and cue a migraine). I put warm plain ones in my garlands. Outside, we also have a mix, multicoloured on the gutters & plain in the bushes.

Also, we don't have a theme for our trees - unless it is "christmas got sick on this tree" I'm not sure you could have a theme with smallies

DavyD_83

Multicoloured

baby and crumble wrote: »

Guys I'm legitimately shocked at the attitude to multicoloured lights shown here.

Childish?

I THINK NOT.

:P

But in a good "kids have all the best stuff" kinda way

Loughc

Multicoloured

CheerLouth wrote: »

Also, we don't have a theme for our trees - unless it is "christmas got sick on this tree" I'm not sure you could have a theme with smallies

One of the best themes you could have!

Whispered

Multicoloured

Plain. I love my tree decorations and like the lights to set them off rather than be another decoration. I also like the nice warm glow from plain lights. Defo not flickering! Would give me a headache.

Call me Al

My big bugbear with lights is that you have to go through about 8 or 9 ir more settings before you get to the sfay-on setting.
Every.Single.Time.

And when you've got maybe 4 or 5 sets on the tree Iit can be more than a bit annoying Esprcially since they're not all the same "menu" to get to static but the boxes all look basically the same.

Posy

Multicoloured

My lights are programmed to stay at the last setting.
So when I turn them on, I don't have to mess about with the buttons!

Sundew

I have a combo on my tree.....warm white on a gentle twinkle setting ( not blinking) and traditional colored lights ( static) with the shades. Could we have a combo in the poll. We don’t have a themed tree, I am crazy about collecting Christmas tree ornaments as was my Mum. Started my own collection in 2000 and have always bought at least 2/3 items for my tree every year and usually get something on holidays too! Love the thrill of unwrapping the ornaments every year.

Call me Al

Posy wrote: »

My lights are programmed to stay at the last setting.
So when I turn them on, I don't have to mess about with the buttons!

Ah now Posy.
What have you done to me lol!
You realise I'll be in a mission to replace all 800 bulbs on my tree with your type of set!!!

Loughc

Multicoloured

59 Votes cast so far and we are currently looking at a 68/32% split.

Few more days to vote if you haven't already.

bubbles o hara

I stopped using coloured lights over ten years ago, first went with plain, then changed to (shudder) blue. But this year, it's back to good old colour. I just love the Christmassy look of all that glowing colour. However I will use the now old tree lights to decorate other parts of the house.
I wuv Christmas!

Loughc

Multicoloured

And the winner with 65.57% of the vote and 40/61 votes is Plain!

The days of the fondly remembered retro colour lights are slipping away from us. Perhaps its time we will bring back the tradition soon...

DvB

Multicoloured

Loughc wrote: »

The days of the fondly remembered retro colour lights are slipping away from us. Perhaps its time we will bring back the tradition soon...

Funnily enough discussed this very thing with herself over the weekend and she shot it down in the blink of an eye.... so it'll be warm ****e LED's for us as per usual

Call me Al

Loughc wrote: »

And the winner with 65.57% of the vote and 40/61 votes is Plain!

Oh dear god no. Bahhh humbug the lot of you :-))))))))

Toto Wolfcastle

Multicoloured

Loughc wrote: »

And the winner with 65.57% of the vote and 40/61 votes is Plain!

The days of the fondly remembered retro colour lights are slipping away from us. Perhaps its time we will bring back the tradition soon...

I’d be all over multicoloured if they didn’t have blue in them.