The day-after-Thanksgiving-shopping-mayhem known as Black Friday has officially come and gone, but the repercussions (or shall we say benefits) of all that purchasing will be felt for months. According to the 2009 holiday survey by Pricegrabber.com, 45 percent of consumers were planning to shop on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, with 80 percent planning to make a purchase on Black Friday and 66 percent on Cyber Monday. And I can vouch from a personal standpoint that it was crazy out there, people! I happened to be in Chicago on that fateful Friday, and let me just say, Michigan Avenue was nothing less than insanity. But given the struggling economy, that’s not a bad thing. In fact, the numbers were better than expected by retailers, who attracted shoppers with hard-to-turn-down sales. (Again, I can vouch for this from a personal perspective. There must have been something in the water at Macy’s because those sales ladies were downright hypnotic with their powers of persuasion…but I digress.)
LEDs were no exception this season; more shoppers than ever purchased decorative holiday LED lights. That’s a great thing for our planet and our nation, since the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that if every household switched to using LED holiday lights, the country would save approximately $410 million in electricity costs. While the recession is still affecting most Americans, that didn’t stop them from spending a little extra for LED lights. While a string of incandescent lights costs about $2 and a similar string of LED lights costs $5-$15, the LED lights will last more than 20,000 hours (that’s up to 40 holiday seasons!), are less likely to break and remain cool to the touch, so they’re safe for kids and to use on that dried up Christmas tree! LEDs use 70 percent less energy than incandescent lights and they contain no mercury like CFLs do.
In fact, due to the increasing popularity of LED lights, IKEA plans on phasing out incandescent lights over the next five years. That’s a big statement from a huge retailer, attesting to the popularity and staying power of LEDs. What can we say, we told you so?
As I’m enjoying my tryptophan haze on the couch (that’s the stuff in turkey that makes you feel sleepy and happy), I thought I’d take a minute to give thanks for LEDs, because they really do make our world a better place. I mean if you think about it, we humans require a lot of light, and thanks to LEDs, we can start lowering our energy consumption despite the fact that we like (and need) to lead fairly illuminated lives. That makes our planet a healthier place and makes our wallets a little fatter too.
It’s happened. It’s that time of year again and there’s nothing you can do about it. The Holidays are indeed upon us. And while that may leave you feeling nostalgic, nauseated or a little of both, at the very least you can know that this year, you can go greener than a Christmas tree by using LEDs for all of your holiday lighting needs.
According to psychologists, the color blue helps to calm stressed people. That’s why Japanese rail operators decided to install blue LED lights in train stations throughout Tokyo: to dissuade commuters from committing suicide by jumping in front of trains.
Halloween has already come and gone, but I just found out about a little accessory that will make you wish the costume-centric holiday was here all over again: LED eyelashes. Yes, folks, that’s right. Someone has figured out how to affix tiny LED bulbs onto human eyelashes, creating a futuristic and in my opinion, downright rad look. The person I’m referring to is Korean artist 
Okay, I admit it. I’ve got weddings on the brain. A certain member of my family is getting married in the near future and much of my free time is consumed with helping her plan for the big day - we’re talking cake, dress, champagne, music - the works. Now, all of those details are of course fun to plan, but the one that interests me the most is the lighting. I mean, what’s a wedding without ambiance, right?