candlelight traditions

[dragonyphoenix]

I’ve been reading about British Christmas traditions and came across the Advent Candle, one variation of which is to light one candle on Dec 1st, two on Dec 2nd, and so forth through Christmas Eve. (Apparently you get large candles and burn them only a bit each day because otherwise you’d be buying a heck of a lot of candles!) I started on the 18th so I’ll be up to only seven candles by Christmas Eve this year.

Presumably not a lot of people do this, but I thought it’d be a lovely winter solstice tradition. Or it might work nicely in a ritual. Start with one candle. Light the four quarter candles off from that. Then light other candles (each person could be holding a candle or there could be candles at the edge of the room) and watch the light grow. ;-)

Comments

[not-vacillating.livejournal.com]

I suppose the other approach is to buy lots of very small cheap candles, like tealights or birthday cake candles. We use a different version, in which we buy a special striped candle and burn it down one ring each day. I like the idea of passing the light in ritual - starting in the dark, then one candle, then a few, then many, can be very effective.

[dragonyphoenix.livejournal.com]

That's what I'm doing. When one tealight burns down, I'll just replace it with another.

I can see burning one candle a bit each day as being something more people would do. ;-) I just rather like the idea of watching the light grow over time. I think it would make an effective ritual.

[gillo]

There's a lovely advent service at Durham cathedral which starts in pitch dark and ends in candles throughout the nave.

Then there's the infamous Blue Peter Advent Crown.



Blue Peter (it's the flag a ship hoists before leaving port) has been running nearly 60 years, and literally generations of kids have watched it, tried to do the 'makes' and, mostly, been stopped from setting light to the candles because it's bloody dangerous.

[snogged.livejournal.com]

That does sound like it would be lovely.

[dragonyphoenix.livejournal.com]

I think it would make a great ritual.