How might candle holders impact or present challenges to your story, characters or world building? Do you know there are candle holders to help increase candlelight? Were candle holders used often in history? What do iron and courting have to do with candle holders? Find out on this episode.
Candles have been a staple for lighting homes for thousands of years. They are still used today to light homes in many places around the world and are a backup lighting source if the power goes out in countless homes. According to Google, one in seven homes in the US uses candles simply for enjoyment, with more than 10,000 different scents. With so many candles used now and throughout history, knowing the importance of candle holders is essential to writing about them.
The first reason candle holders are used is to keep the candles from tipping. Granted, some of the modern candles are made to have a solid base, but many are not. More importantly, they were not typically designed like this throughout history. If a lit candle tips over, it is a huge fire risk. No one wants their house on fire. I know because I lit my bathroom curtains on fire when I was a kid, and my mom was not happy!
The second reason is that it makes moving the candle from one place to the next much easier. If you are using the candle for light, you will carry it where you need it because candlelight is not as bright and does not reach as far as lightbulbs do. When you need it closer for a task or you are moving from room to room, being able to carry it easily is important.
Also noteworthy is that when moving it, you don’t want to tip it slightly and spill hot wax all over your hand or drip down your leg or foot. This could cause burns and blisters. The base of the candle holder will catch the hot wax. On top of that, dripping hot wax can startle the person carrying it, and they might drop the candle. It would be a fire risk. If dropped on the pant leg or skirts, it could catch their clothing on fire.
Along the same line of wax falling, you do not want wax all over the home. I don’t know about all of you, but I do not want to be scrapping wax off my floor.
Speaking of wax, if you use a candle holder, you will be able to catch the wax in the candle holder. This will not only keep your floors clean, but the wax collected on the candle holder could be used again to make new candles. In history, this would have been important, especially to poor families.
Other types of candle holders elevate the candles. When a candle is elevated, it illuminates a wider area. When there are several of these together, it makes it much easier to see throughout the whole room. While we see many in history, most families did not have candle holders for more than three to five candles. Ones that held more were usually owned by wealthier people. This type of candle holder was called a candelabras.
Something to think about was that many homes had light wallpaper or milk paint added to the ceiling to make it lighter. The lighter a ceiling and the walls of a home is, the brighter it will feel. Black absorbs light, while white reflects it. This will make a difference in how many candles the person uses. If they are poor, they will be mindful of how many they have and how fast they use them.
For those of you wondering what milk paint is, it is made with milk and lime that lasts for one to three years before needing a new coat of paint. As far as I can tell, it was invented in the 1800s. It was used by many people and is still used by many poor people in the US today who can’t afford paint. It is also used in some Amish communities.
Another type of candle holder has reflectors on it. These could be shiny metals, silver, or mirrors. These are usually hung in a stationary place in the home. Sometimes a mirror is placed under the candle to reflect the light up. This can also work but doesn’t work as well with a candle holder.
A modern uses is for decorations, whether it is a holiday or you just like the look of it. Today, there are all kinds of fancy candle holders that are both practical and not practical. I do not know whose bright idea it was to make a wicker candle holder with wicker above where the flame would be, but it screams fire risk to me!
Another modern use is for a romantic look and feel. Some people think it is very romantic and enjoy the flickering light. I must admit, I do not know anyone who has used candles as a long-term lighting source that finds them romantic. Keep that in mind for your stories.
Fun fact: There was something called a courting candle popular from the 1600s to the 1800s. It was made of a wrought iron coil resembling a spring with a base. A candle was placed inside the spring. The story goes that when a courter came to call, the father would light the candle, and when it burned down to reach the metal, the courting time was over, the you young man had to leave. Some say this was folklore, and others swear it is true.
What could probably go wrong:
Likely to go wrong: Your character took a tapered candle out of the holder with their hands and spilled hot wax on themselves.
Likely to go wrong: Your character trips while walking from room to room with the candle in the candle holder. This could be bad with out without a candle holder as they could burn themselves with the flame or with the burning wax.
Possible to go wrong: Your character was not paying close enough attention and sat the candle holder with the lit candle too close to something, such as a curtain, bedding, or more, setting something on fire.
Possible to go wrong: Someone bumps into the candle holder and knocks it over, causing a fire.
Unlikely to go wrong: Your character broke the mirror of a wall-mounted reflector candle holder. They could be cut. It could be a small cut, or could cut them in the eyeball if it was mounted high enough on the wall.
Unlikely to go wrong: Your character mounted a wall candle too high, setting the ceiling on fire.
Improbable, but technically still in the realm of possibilities: Your character took a Hurricane lantern candle holder with the lit candle out to the outhouse. There the methane gas had built up, and they lit the gas on fire, blowing up the outhouse with them in it.
Improbable, but technically still in the realm of possibilities: While walking with the candle, your character tipped the candle holder a little too much and spilled wax on their dirt floor. Then their baby or toddler decided to eat the wax off the floor. Babies put everything in their mouth!
Helpful Links to Learn More:
https://artdaily.cc/news/134612/Look-At-Some-Interesting-Advantages-Of-Candle-Holders
https://www.cozyhomeideas.eu/blogs/news/everything-you-should-know-about-candle-holders-quick-guide
