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LED or light-emitting diode lights illuminate more coolly than traditional bulbs. People can also string more together.

However, there is always the factor of the cost. Many retailers report that this season, LED sales are close to those of regular incandescent lights, and the high LED price has come down to make them competitive.

At the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), researchers have been doing cost analysis between newer LEDs and traditional bulbs.

“They use about 70 percent less energy than a normal incandescent light and last 10 times longer. So they’re much more durable, they use less energy,” said Cameron Bard of the NYSERDA.

According the U.S. Department of Energy, 10 sets of 100 LED bulbs would only cost 60 cents a month to operate, compared to up to $26 dollars for traditional lights.

LEDs have an estimated life of 20,000 hours, which is about 40 holiday seasons.

LED lights are safe and contain nothing harmful. The same cannot be said for their compact fluorescent cousins. CFL's contain a substance that could potentially put a damper on Christmas or any other holiday.

“It does contain a small amount of mercury, so you want to be careful. That means if you’re going to dispose of it, you want to always take it to a hazardous recycling center. If it does break, you want to seal it up and take it to one of those centers right away,” said Bard.

Millions of the fluorescent bulbs are doing a nice job illuminating low-traffic areas like closets and basements. Holiday bulbs are often moved and jostled, so you should be the judge.