An annual staple of Christmas is whipping out the lights, putting them up, and getting into the Christmas spirit. But as years have gone by, with new types of decorations and new technology for decoration being invented, this raises a crucial question: have Christmas lights gone too far?
According to marketdataforecast.com the global Christmas lights and decorations market was valued at $8 billion in 2024 alone. With the market expected to be valued at $8.39 billion USD in 2025 and growing to $11 billion in 2033. The reason why the market is so high is because in the year 2023 there were over 3 billion lighting units sold globally and close to 2 billion non lighting units like inflatables and yard decorations also sold globally according to marketreportsworld.com.
As years have gone by many new systems have been introduced to make Christmas decor better. Now we have lights that can be controlled from your phone as well as illuminated wreaths and Christmas inflatables. But even when these new Christmas decorations are being introduced some of them are much more expensive when compared to classic decorations. With phone-controlled Christmas lights sets with 100 feet costing one $135 per set. Another set of 131 feet of regular lights costing not even $50. A pre lit sixty-inch illuminated wreath on Amazon costs $131 with a 24 inch front door wreath costing $50, with the average Christmas inflatable usually being around $50-60.
But it still creates another question: why do people spend all of this money on temporary decorations? Overspending mostly has a psychological cause, specifically with the idea of FOMO (the fear of missing out) and, according to King’s College London, “Sellers emphasize scarcity through various limited-time deals, creating a sense that if you don’t purchase now, you’ll miss out and feel a sense of loss.”
There are still some people that try to be mindful of spending money on Christmas decorations. They do this by following these three key aspects: supporting ethical brands, using more eco-friendly decorations, and not spending too much money on decorations. The reason they do this is because, according to The Institute Of Sustainability Studies, “Industries like fast fashion epitomise these challenges, producing vast quantities of low-cost items that often end up in landfills shortly after purchase, contributing to 10 percent of global carbon emissions.”
With this information in mind, future shoppers can be more mindful with their shopping and with the environment and the effects that these lights have on the environment.
