What would the yuletide season be like without Xmas lights? Nowhere near as festive, that's for sure. There's something magical about Xmas lights that really sets the mood of the season by creating a magical ambience in your home, both inside and out. Here's your guide to discovering the yuletide spirit with Christmas lights.

First, let's look at the types of Xmas lights available.

The most popular are those strands known as fairy lights in the UK and mini lights in the US. These come in a huge range of colours and configurations making it easy to choose the right one for your home. These can be used along your windows and at tables to highlight centerpieces, as well as outside in trees.

Other popular choices are curtain lights which are made up of strands of lights suspended from a main wire, and novelty lights which come in the form of festive themes such as reindeer or snowmen.

Christmas lights come in a rich array of colours each of which conveys its own mood. Blue Christmas lights are very popular as blue evokes a feeling of peace and relaxation which is perfect for the festive season. Reds create a jolly festive mood and whites give a warm feel. Using a matching colour scheme is the best way to create harmony with your coloured lights.

When it comes to bulbs, you have two choices. Standard incandescent lights were traditionally used for Xmas lights but now LEDs (light emitting diodes) are being increasingly used as they offer many advantages.

For one thing they contain no filaments so they require less energy and don't get hot in use. They're always cool to the touch which makes them safer. What's more LEDs are usually encased in protective plastic meaning they're very hardy. Most LED lights are connectable which means you just need one power lead to service many lights.

Perhaps their main advantage is that they last up to 30 times as long as incandescent filament bulbs and use up to 80% less power. Also unlike incandescent lights, they don't fizzle out when their time is up; rather they begin to dim which gives you time to change them and keep your display looking good.

As LEDs are brighter, you don't need so many of them For example, for filament lights you'll require 100 bulbs per foot of tree, that's 600 bulbs for a six foot high tree. For LEDs you'll need 50 bulbs per foot of tree. So for a 6 foot tree you'll want just 300 LEDs, just half the number.

While it's true that incandescent bulbs emit a softer light than LEDs, the good news is that you can now get warm white LEDs which give a soft glow similar to incandescent bulbs.

Before shopping for your Christmas lights, take a moment to decide what kind of lights you'll need and where you'll put them up. Christmas tree lights are a must but you need to choose other key spots to string some illumination. Your stairways, banisters, galleries, mantelpieces and door frames are all ideal places.

You'll want to consider what mood you want to create in your home. If you have young children, you'll want a display that's bright and sparkling with novelty lights. Older people will probably prefer a more relaxing, stylish atmosphere with an abundance of blue Christmas lights and silver ornaments, for example. Decide on what colours you want and whether you'd like special lights such as icicles or pearls.

Don't neglect the exterior of your home. When it comes to outdoor Christmas lights, you have a huge choice. You can hang rope lights among the trees and adorn your porch, patio, and roof with strings of fairy lights, for example.

The best way to get a handle on what's available is to visit the web sites of leading online dealers and check their catalogues to find something that appeals. You can then place your order right at the site to get the best prices and fast delivery.

Xmas illumination offers a fast and affordable way to bring the yuletide spirit to your home. Order your Christmas lights online today and get ready to transform your home into a warm and happy place to celebrate the festive season.