shown each of the decorative lamps which are generally designated with the reference numeral 10 comprises a holder 2 to receive and retain therein a bulb 1 the bulb has an opaque or translucent surface coating for example a light nontransmitting material or a dark light absorbing material provided thereon to form a decorative pattern which defines on the bulb surface at least a light transmitting area 11 which is formed by providing no such surface coating material on the area and a light nontransmitting area 12 by suitable design of the combination of the light transmitting area 11 and the light nontransmitting area 12 a decorative patterns is formed on the bulb surface with the bulb 1 lit a visual decoration corresponding to the decorative pattern becomes visible in the embodiment illustrated the decorative pattern is a halloween pumpkin face it may of course be possible to provide other pattern on the bulb surface for example in the lamp string 100 that comprises a number of the decorative lamps 10 each of the lamps 10 is provided with a different pattern and these patterns constitute a 34 story 34 so that when the lamp string 100 is energized and the lamps 10 are lit in.