Many of us place candles in our windows for Christmas as part of our holiday decorations. They add a warm glow and feeling to the season and make the houses look cheerful and inviting. Soon after New Year’s, most people take them down, along with the other decorations, returning the windows to cold, dark spaces in the walls of the home.
In this day of battery LED candles, why not just leave them up until the batteries go the way of all old batteries, then recycle them? Historically, there are many reasons to do so.
For centuries, a candle in the window signified a safe place where shelter and food were available. During the Irish Penal Laws, which banned the Catholic religion, persecuted Catholics and especially priests, a candle in the window told priests the place was a safe haven. Candles also have been a symbol of missing or deceased loved ones glowing with the hope of return or remembrance of them.
In the southern Pennsylvania Dutch area, where I grew up, candles in windows are common all year long. This tradition started in the years prior to the Civil War, again signifying a safe haven due to the fact the border of Maryland and Pennsylvania, the Mason-Dixon Line, was also the boundary between slave and free states. Underground railroad houses were prominent in the area and these markers guided escapees along the way.
During the Civil War, candles were placed in windows to help guide soldier sons and fathers back to their homes.
Additionally, and maybe more importantly, candles in windows bring a little light to the darkest, longest, coldest nights of the year. So, keep them burning — at least until the batteries wear out.
