Christmas Candles - The Many Origins of the Tradition

During Christmas, many put lit candles in their windows, and there are several myths surrounding the origin of this tradition.  For the Christian faith, here are the three primary Christmas candle origin stories.

1. During the start of the Christian religion, followers of Christ would light a large candle and place it on their windowsill to symbolize the birth of Christ, but also to help provide light and guidance for Mary and Joseph on the night where they could not find shelter.  It was considered to be a sign of the nativity as well, a silent but bright homage to the birth place of Jesus.
   
   
2. To continue with the Christian themed origins, many would light a single candle on Christmas Eve simply as a representation of Christ, since Christians consider him to be the light of the world.  This single large candle is allowed to burn throughout the night, and is seen by those outside the home as a sign of friendship and welcoming.
   
   
3. Since candles were, for a large period of time, used as a decoration on Christmas trees, many merchants would give their regular customers a small package of pine scented candles wrapped in ribbon as a gift for their loyalty to their shop.  This tradition was prominent in the 1800s.
   
   
4. The Austrian tale of the Cobblers sparked a distinct message for the Christmas candle.  The way the story goes, a cobbler and his wife lived a very humble existence in a small village, but everything they owned, they would share with others, offering food and shelter to those in need.  Each night, they would light a candle in their window as a sign of friendship and welcoming.  While they led a happy existence, the rest of the village had to deal with war, death, famine, and poverty.  One day, all the villagers came together, and discussing the cobbler and his wife, decided they would all place candles in their windows at night.  The next day, the war ended and peace was brought to the village.  Then they all praised god for the miracle they had just been blessed with.

Whatever the reason, lighting a Christmas candle in your window on Christmas Eve has become and honored tradition in many countries.  There is some advice you should heed when working with Christmas candles.  The majority of people have moved away from leaving burning candles lit overnight, for the obvious potential for house fires.  Leaving a candle burning in a windows overnight is neither smart nor safe, so make sure you extinguish any flame before you go to bed for the night.  On all instructions for candles (typically found on the bottom), there will be a rule about not leaving an unattended candle burning.  The end result could be your house burning down on Christmas Eve, which puts a damper on the holidays, but the tradition can continue.

More and more people have kept this tradition alive by switch to candle lights, or electronic candles.  They are usually cheap, much safer, and create far less mess than the normal candles.  Now, there are LED candles that are even safer than the standard electronic candle.  The LED (light-emitting diode) last far longer than the standard light bulb, doesn't get as hot, and is typically brighter than the standard light bulb.  They are also a real power saver.

You can still use the standard Christmas candle, but following the tradition would mean putting you and your family in potential danger.  Scented candled and decorative candles can still be used if they are monitored.  Here are some general safety rules for using Christmas candles.

• Never leave a burning candle unattended.
   
• Never place a burning candle on a tree.
  
  
• Keep scraps of paper, plants, cloth, and any other flammable away from a burning candle.
  
  
• Always blow out the candle if you are leaving the room for an extended period of time.
  
  
• Keep the candle out of the reach of children.
  
  
• Always use an approved candle holder.  These will be fireproof and will keep candle wax from ruining anything under the candle.
  
  
• Never burn a candle all the way to the base.  This can cause wax to spread, leading to the potential for a fire.