If you thought stringing popcorn for hours could get tedious, imagine fumbling around trying to attach a multitude of lit candles to a tree using melted wax or pins. Revelers eager to keep their holiday spirits bright needed to keep a bucket of water or sand close by. A few erstwhile inventors tried to figure out the best way to do this safely, including clip-on candleholders with an attached tin cup to catch the melted wax. Despite the dangers of mixing open flame with drying-out trees, candles would remain a Christmas staple into the early 20th century.

 

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