Bubble Lites Are Making A Big Comeback

An almost-forgotten Christmas decoration that hit it big just after World War II is once again taking its place of honor on Christmas trees, showering their limbs in vivid and translucent colors.

The rebirth of Bubble Lite, an effervescent lighting tube filled with liquid, is largely due to a small, but zealous band of collectors who comb thrift shops and flea markets and run classified ads in newspapers.

Plug a strand of nine Bubble Lites into an outlet. Wait a few minutes for them to heat up. Listen for clicking. Watch for the tiny bubbles to gurgle and shoot.

Housed in well-aged glass, this sweet glowing nectar is really something called methylene chloride.

The science is this: A dyed liquid fills the 4-inch-long glass phials. When heated by a standard 15-volt Christmas tree light, this watery substance emits a kinetic fountain of illuminated air pockets known as bubbles.

Bubble Lite addicts never use the word “tacky” to describe their tastes. They see this product as the genius of American holiday novelty manufacturing and often pay $4 to $6 for average-condition working models. A nice but common set in the original color box runs about $45.

The first large-scale production of Bubble Lites happened in 1946. They were sold on strings of nine, at a then-high cost of $3.95.

More than 80 million bubbling lights were manufactured in the peak year of 1948, a time when World War II GIs and their wives were setting up housekeeping, having children and re-establishing family Christmas traditions.