WASHINGTON, Dec. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11: CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

Profile America — Tuesday, December 11th.  All across the country, the winter darkness is ablaze with colorful lights — from small towns to big cities, along streets and in storefronts, as well as private homes.  Some neighborhoods have such massive annual displays they draw people from miles away.  While the exact time and place of the first outdoor holiday lights is not known, one of the first occurred in Denver in 1914 when an electrician named David Sturgeon dipped light bulbs in colored paint to light a tree outside his desperately ill grandson's window.  Written up in the local newspaper, the idea soon caught on around the country.  Christmas lights are part of the $2.2 billion of electric light bulbs and parts made and sold each year in the U.S.  Profile America is in its 16th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.

Sources:  2007 Economic Census, NAICS 335110

Profile America is produced by the Center for New Media and Promotions of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button). 

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau