“The light in the heavenly stained glass had the fragrance of roses, and my soul was all in that grace as in a sacred garden… I loved the light as the essence of myself.” This is how Don described Ramón del Valle-Inclán in The wonderful lamp the almost mystical experience he had one afternoon in the cathedral of León. And although we do not know how to explain it in such a sublime way, perhaps we have all at some point perceived a “subjective image or sensationtypical of a sense, determined by another sensation thatthat affects a different sense“. That is, a synesthesia.
The question is:always smell the light like roses? Could it also smell like Christmas and memories of happy times? Consciously or unconsciously, mayors and mayors from all over the world they think so.
The race for Christmas lighting
We recently read that Genil Bridge (Córdoba) has turned on its Christmas lighting on November 14. But the brand has been fair, because only two days later, Vigo did the same, lighting a whopping 11 million LEDs. And its mayor, Abel Caballerois known inside and outside of Spain for the lavishness of its lighting and its determined commitment to turning it into a tourist and economic attraction.
What does science say?
Science says several things about this. One of them is obvious: energy expenditure is considerablea fact that fortunately has been alleviated in recent years with the replacement of the classic colored incandescent light bulbs with LED lights, whose consumption is much lower. To give us an idea, the power of the Christmas lighting in the city of Granada is 193 kW, equivalent to about 200 microwaves running at maximum.
We also know that the atmosphere scatters light in all directions. And it does so in a much more pronounced way with the blue lights that with the warm ones, giving rise to that blue of the sky that makes our soul so happy.
But part of that light is thrown upward like a pinball ball. AND light that does not reach the eyes is light that does not illuminate andTherefore, wasted energy.
If that light also alters the physiological rhythms of plants and animals and affects astronomical observations of telescopes and amateurs, the damage is evident. This is what we call light pollution and, although Spanish legislation combats it, many regional laws exclude festive lighting from limitations.
Possible stress
What else does science tell us about excessively intense and strident Christmas lighting (or any other lighting)? That can stress people out interrupting the secretion of melatonin and increasing that of cortisol during the night. And that’s not It is a good idea because melatonin relaxes us before going to sleep. and cortisol activates us when we wake up.
When pedestrians are affected, the consequences are less serious, since On the street we must always have a certain level of alert to avoid accidents and interact with the environment. However, when a strident Christmas lighting penetrates our homes through the windows and cracks in the blinds, the interruption of circadian rhythms as important as the sleep-wake can be really negative.
At this point, it seems that science and Christmas lighting are difficult to reconcile. But Christmas is a time of reconciliation where anything is possible.
Any favorable scientific arguments?
Despite the greater energy consumption, light pollution, initial cost of all those LEDs, maintenance, future recycling, there is an undeniable fact: although each one is a world, an illuminated environment brings joy to many more people of those that sadden. Human beings like light. And the politicians who compete for the most spectacular lighting know it. And merchants and advertisers, too.
This should not come as a surprise if we consider that our star and source of life keeps us alive by giving us light and warmth. We can change our diet, but a slight variation in the radiation that reaches us from the Sun would end life in one fell swoop. It can be firmly stated that light and its sister radiations (infrared and ultraviolet) constitute our primary food.
A sunny morning crowned by a blue sky lifts the spirit much more than a cloudy, leaden day. ¿So many citizens would come from central and northern Europe to spend the rest of their lives in Spain after retiring if we didn’t have the light we have?
Therefore, it seems clear that Christmas lighting makes people feel better and happier many people who experience the lighting as a true event each year. Aware of this, in cities like Madrid They have managed to ensure that no one stops enjoying it.
But despite the beneficial influence of light on our moodwe don’t know how much we need to feel safer or happier.
In fact, quantifying it constitutes the Holy Grail of lighting engineering and lighting. We know relatively well the relationship between light and melatonin, drowsiness, body temperature, attention, etc. But we continue to blindside ourselves when we wonder, for example, about how light influences the amygdalaa part of our brain related to positive emotions and memories.
When asking about the Christmas lighting in Spain, I dare say that they make us happier but, in general, They must be moderated in intensity and stridency due to their non-negligible impact. and for responsible use of resources.
We will continue investigating how much light is necessary for it to smell like Christmas.
This article was originally published on The Conversation
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