On the fourth day of December, one can start burning the candles for the Advent.  Lighting one candle for tha day, adding another candle for the next day and so on until the whole Advent Candlabra is lit.  This makes a beautiful sight.

With the fairly consistent and measurable burning of a candle, a common use was to tell the time. The candle designed for this purpose might have time measurements, usually in hours, marked along the wax.

The Sung Dynasty in China (960–1279) used candle-clocks. By the 18th century, candle-clocks were being made with weights set into the sides of the candle. As the candle melted, the weights fell off and made a noise as they fell into a bowl.

             A form of candle-clock was used in coal-mining until the 20th century.

In the days leading to Christmas some people burn a candle a set amount to represent each day, as marked on the candle. The type of candle used in this way is called the Advent candle, although this term is also used to refer to a candle that decorates an Advent wreath.

In our family we use the Advent Calendar.  There are 25 small boxes, or doors, to be opened.  The first day of December one of our children get to open that door.  Inside is a small piece of chocolate.  As each day passes and more doors are opened on the Advent Calendar, various parts of a puzzle are beginning to show.  When all the doors are opened, the puzzle is finished.  There is a beautiful picture of Christ, the reason we celebrate Christmas.

The above information was written with permission from the National Candle Association.

Tobey Craft from http://tobeyscandles.com.

How was the candle first created?  The candle was developed independently in many countries.

In Rome around the first century, candles were made out of tallow and the pith of rushes. The Egyptians and Cretans made the candle from beeswax, as early as 3000 BC.

The early candle was made from various forms of natural fat, tallow, and wax.  In the 18th century, spermaseti oil produced by the sperm whale was used to produce a superior candle. 

Late in the 18th century, colza oil and rapeseed oil came into use as much cheaper substitutes.  Paraffin was first distilled in 1830, and revolutionized candle-making, as it was an inexpensive material which produced a high-quality, odorless candle that burned reasonably cleanly.

The industry was devastated soon after, however, by the distillation of kerosene (confusingly also called paraffin oil or just paraffin). This excellent fuel for lamps gave the candle its current status as a primarily decorative item.

Recently resin based candles that are freestanding and transparent have been developed, with the claim that they burn longer than traditional paraffin candles.

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 Candles are sometimes burnt in churches and cathedrals as a sign of remembrance.

Small donations, such as those in Helsinki Cathedral, often go towards missionary work or other charities.

In Christianity the candle is commonly used in worship both for decoration and ambiance, and as symbols that represent the light of God or, specifically, the light of Christ.

The candle is often placed on the altar. A Votive Candle may be lit as an accompaniment to prayer. The candle is lit by worshippers in front of icons in Orthodox and other churches.

In some churches, a special candle known as the Paschal candle, specifically represents Christ and is lit only at Easter, funerals, and baptisms.

In some Christian denominations, the day of Candlemas marks the end of the season of Epiphany. On this day, the presiding priest blesses the candle to be used in worship for the following year.

The Candle was traditionally used to light up Christmas trees before the advent of electric lights. They are still commonly used to decorate Christmas trees in Denmark and other European countries. They are also used in Advent wreaths.

In Sweden (and other Scandinavian countries), St. Lucia Day is celebrated on December 13 with the crowning of a young girl with a candle ring.

Have you ever wondered what to do with your votive candle?  Where to place it?  How to make a stunning center piece using only votive candles?  Would a grouping of votive candles be attractive?  I believe so.   

In order to get the most out of a votive candle grouping, consider these locations:

• Dining room tables. You could replace the plain old tapers with small groupings of votive candles in cut glass holders at either end of where the main dish will sit on the table. A group of three to four votive candles work perfectly and add a bit more sparkle and pizzazz to a table.  Creating a nest for your votive candles within a floral arrangement adds a lot of sparkle to your table.  Placing ribbons around the votive candle holder should be done with caution.  You would not want the ribbon to get so hot that it  would catch on fire. 
• Bathrooms.  This might be one of the most stunning locations to place votive candle groupings.  Do you have an item on the counter that is very attractive, like a glass ball with a small village inside?  By placing several votive candles in crystal candle holders on either side, makes a stunning presentation.  This is so simple because guests do not expect a bit of extra jazz in this particular room of rooms.  Scented votive candles can alter the entire atmosphere of a bathroom  and make the area more pleasant.
• Living rooms.   Votive candle groupings sitting on your coffee table and end tables add that extra something to your room.  Sets of three votive candles or more can look very stunning. When special holders are used, the overall safety of using these lower tables for votive candle groupings is also increased.  Should you have small children or pets in the general area, keep them unlit while the children are awake.  Later in the evening after the children are in bed, light those special candles, cast that beautiful candle glow and if scented, the fragrance will permeate the room with that extra something.  Sit down with your favorite person, sip a cup  of coffee and relax.
• Walls.    When wall sconces with votive candles are used, the results on an overall room’s ambiance can be amazing.  Using crystal votive holders, which fit into your decor, will add that extra sparkle when the votive candles are lit.  Lighting these votive candles inside a crystal votive holder casts sparkling light on the walls, ambience is added to each room, and makes everyone feel extra special who has been invited into your home.

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In Biblical times, candles were used for lighting. The olive oil, pitch, coconut oils, palm oils, etc. was burned in a shallow candle holder shaped like a small tea pot with the opening where the lid of the tea pot would be. The candle was the main source of home lighting until the introduction of electricity.

Among the Greek and the Roman Empires, many candles were created using flax thread coated with pitch or beeswax. In other regions candles were made using a variety of oils, coconut oils, palm oils, olive oil and beeswax. To this day we still use beeswax in many of our candles.

In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s women made their candles at home by dipping the long wick (or strand of cotton) into tallow, which is a rendering of fat from pigs and other animals.

When paraffin was introduced in the 1800’s, it slowly became the main ingredient in creating candles. It could be melted and mixed in with tallow to make a better candle.

In today’s environment, we use a wide variety of candles in our home décor, setting the right mood, saying I love you, and much more. We use pillar candles, votive candles, gel candles, scented and unscented floating candles and tumbler candles for we have a huge selection to choose from.

We no longer depend on candles for our light source. We do depend on scented candles to create a gentle flowing fragrance floating through our homes.

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The votive candle might be the most misunderstood, under-rated candle going. A single votive candle, on its own, can add a tiny touch of elegance and ambiance to a room. However, a single votive candle isn’t all that spectacular. When you add a host of votive candles together, this all changes. The end appearance can be quite spectacular.

A plain votive candle nestled in a grouping of pillar candles is a great way to add a touch of dazzle and a bit of atmosphere to a room. Whether a votive candle is scented, colored or housed in a designer holder, it is the first element in creating an incredible designer look. Groupings of three, five or more votive candles look fantastic when used in a number of circumstances. Whether they are placed flat in groupings or on platforms to elevate rows of votive candle holders above each other, the overall effect of multiple votives is generally quite eye catching.

A lit votive candle in a wall sconce adds ambiance to a room, whether it is the dining room, family room, living room or bathroom. When you enter a room that has a lit votive candle with the room being darkened, the flickering light adds that something special to the room.

A votive candle isn’t much to write home about on its own. When votive candle groupings are used to create a specific look, however, the outcome can be quite stunning.

Next week, I’ll post more about the votive candle. www.TobeysCandles.com