  Helicity is a property of light which is familiar from particle physics but
less well-known in optics. In this paper we recall the explicit form taken by
the helicity of light within classical electromagnetic theory and reflect upon
some of its remarkable characteristics. The helicity of light is related to,
but is distinct from, the spin of light. To emphasise this fact, we draw a
simple analogy between the helicity of light and electric charge and between
the spin of light and electric current. We illustrate this and other
observations by examining various superpositions of plane waves explicitly.
