choosing candles

Written for the dVerse prompt “St Lucy – bringing light into darkness“, and also as a follow up to my last poem, about putting the candles on the tree.

There is a science to choosing one’s candle.
One must consider the angle –
a straighter-standing candle burns longer,
a tilted is in peril of extinguishing itself
with its own dripping wax.
It must be visible –
not tucked at the back of the tree
where it might go out
without anyone noticing,
to become a source of argument.
It must be sheltered,
away from draughts,
even the smallest.
It must have just enough airflow to keep it going
so it burns slowly and lasts all night.
When all this is considered –
and you mustn’t take too long
lest someone else claim the best one first –
then the final consideration is who to choose it for.
Who, of those present,
and more especially of those absent,
needs the longest burning candle
to bring the most luck in the new year?

We celebrate Christmas on Christmas eve rather than Christmas day, and part of it is each choosing a candle on the tree. There are 10 to 14 candles on the tree, depending on how many of the little holders have been broken in the previous year. We light them well before dusk (about 8pm). Everyone chooses a candle for themselves, and the longer your candle stays alight, the luckier your new year will be. And, for the kids, you have to go to bed when your candle goes out. Hence there is a lot of thought put into which one to choose! Within a few years I expect the kids will be applying computational fluid dynamics to a 3D model of the room to determine which candle will allow them stay up half an hour later, and bring them luck. I always choose candles for a few absent friends as well, especially those who have had a bad year.

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