The Classic Christmas Lights Going Viral on TikTok and Instagram

Christmas nostalgia is having a major moment — and the classic string lights you remember from childhood are back in the spotlight.

Scroll through TikTok or Instagram as Christmas approaches and you’ll notice a familiar glow appearing on trees everywhere. After years of delicate micro lights, barely-there LEDs and perfectly coordinated neutral Christmas schemes, festive decorating is taking a decidedly nostalgic turn.

Classic Christmas lights are back.

Think rich reds, greens, blues and yellows scattered through deep green branches. Or that unmistakable warm, golden glow reminiscent of traditional filament bulbs. The look feels less polished, more nostalgic and wonderfully Christmassy — and it is exactly the sort of festive atmosphere filling social feeds.

At NOMA, it is a style we know particularly well.

The Return of the Classic Christmas Tree

There is something instantly recognisable about a tree covered in traditional string lights. Rather than disappearing amongst the decorations, the lights become part of the display.

NOMA's Classic Christmas Lights collection takes inspiration from the festive displays of years gone by, with traditional bulb shapes, warm illumination and multicoloured options designed to recreate that familiar Christmas glow — while using modern LED technology.

It is this combination of old and new that makes the look feel particularly relevant now.

Social media has helped revive an appetite for Christmas decorating that feels personal rather than perfect: trees packed with collected ornaments, colourful decorations, vintage-inspired details and lights that immediately remind you of Christmases past.

The result? A tree that looks as though it has been decorated over generations rather than designed around a trend.

Why Are Classic Christmas Lights Trending Again?

Nostalgia is playing an increasingly visible role in Christmas interiors. Rather than stripping festive decorating back, many homes are embracing colour, character and familiar traditions again.

And lighting makes an enormous difference.

Traditional-style string lights create distinct points of light amongst the branches, giving a tree depth and warmth. Multicoloured bulbs introduce that unmistakably retro Christmas look, while warm white versions offer a softer interpretation of the same trend.

It is festive lighting designed to be noticed.

The wider Christmas decorating mood for 2026 is similarly leaning towards richer, more playful and nostalgic schemes, with colourful, characterful decorations becoming increasingly prominent.

The Viral Look, the NOMA Way

The beauty of the classic-light trend is that there isn't just one way to recreate it.

For the full nostalgic effect, choose Multicolour LED Classic String Lights. Available across the NOMA Classic collection in different lengths, the jewel-like colours immediately give a Christmas tree that traditional, family-Christmas feel.

Prefer something a little softer? Classic Warm White LED String Lights recreate the gentle appearance associated with traditional festive bulbs, producing a rich, golden glow while benefiting from modern LED technology. NOMA describes the design as recreating the soft, filament-style appearance of traditional Christmas lighting.

Then there are the designs for anyone wanting to take the nostalgia even further.

Canterbury Belles, Pickwicks and Victorian Lantern String Lights bring distinctive retro-inspired bulb shapes into the display, making the lights themselves part of the decoration. Battery-operated versions also make it easier to introduce the look beyond the Christmas tree — across a mantelpiece, through a garland or around a festive tablescape.

How to Get the TikTok Christmas Light Look

The secret is not to make it too perfect.

Start by weaving your lights well into the tree rather than simply wrapping them around its outer edge. Working some lights closer to the trunk and others towards the tips creates layers of illumination and gives the tree that rich, glowing appearance that photographs so beautifully.

Next, embrace decoration with personality. Classic lights work particularly well alongside glass baubles, inherited decorations, bows, wooden ornaments, tinsel and pieces collected over the years. With multicoloured lights especially, you do not need every ornament to belong to the same colour palette.

For an even more nostalgic finish, resist the temptation to over-style. A mixture of shapes, finishes and colours is part of the charm.

And don't stop at the tree. Classic string lights can bring the same atmosphere to staircases, garlands and mantelpieces, turning smaller corners of the home into warm, festive focal points.

Warm White or Multicolour?

This might be the biggest Christmas lighting question of all.

Warm white gives you nostalgia with a more understated finish. The golden light pairs beautifully with traditional greenery, metallic ornaments, tartan, velvet ribbon and natural decorations.

Multicolour, meanwhile, is Christmas turned all the way up. Red, green, blue and yellow lights create an instantly recognisable retro look and work brilliantly with colourful baubles, vintage decorations and trees where more really is more.

There is no need to choose according to a rule. Choose according to the Christmas you want to remember.

Some Christmas Traditions Deserve a Comeback

Trends move quickly on TikTok and Instagram, but classic Christmas lights have something most viral decorating ideas don't: history.

Long before they became a social-media aesthetic, colourful bulbs and softly glowing string lights were part of family Christmases year after year. Their return feels less like the arrival of something new and more like rediscovering something we had forgotten we loved.

NOMA's Classic collection captures that feeling with retro-inspired designs paired with contemporary LED technology — from simple warm white strings to multicoloured classics and characterful Canterbury Belles, Pickwicks and Victorian Lanterns.

So this Christmas, perhaps the most on-trend thing you can do is look backwards.

Bring back the colour. Bring back the glow. Bring back Christmas as you remember it.