Where did the tradition of lighting Christmas trees come from?

Wealthy Germans were using candles in trees since the 17th century. around 1900 they began using glass bulbs and lanterns to hold them in place instead of gluing or pinning them. Edward Johnson, Thomas Edison's assistant, came up with the idea of electric Christmas lights. after a tragic fire in 1917 caused by Christmas lights, Albert Sadacca invented the safety light and started a huge multimillion dollar company, NOMA Electric Company.