Yule Shopping: A Variety of Advent Candles

When I popped into Aldi to do a bit of shopping I noticed advent candles for sale at the bargain price of £1.29. There were three designs and a choice of colour – red, white or ivory. I got an ivory candle, decorated with gold numbers and old-fashioned angels. You can see it in the photo to the right

Advent candles seem to be rather in fashion this Yule and they make a change from advent calendars. There also seems to be a greater variety of shapes, styles and colours than I’ve seen in the past.

If you want one you can keep lit for a long time each evening, there are pyramid advent candle,and advent pillar candlesin which each date will burn for about 2 hours.

Another option is to get four candles (no, not ‘fork handles’, for those old enough to remember the Two Ronnies’ comedy sketch) and put them on a traditional advent ring, wreath or crown.Traditionally, one candle is burnt each week of advent.

You can, of course, burn a tea light each evening in the run-up to Christmas instead of using an advent candle. Big name chandler Yankee Candle has produced some lovely advent calender gift sets this year in which each window you open contains a tea light or votive candle – each with a different scent. There are Yankee Candle advent calender carousel gift setsand also Yankee Candle advent calender houses.I think they are lovely, but a rather more pricey than my single candle from Aldi.

To make up a similar advent candle set counting down to Yule or the Winter Solstice on December 22 rather than Christmas on December 25, you could buy a selection of tea lights and make 21 or perhaps 22 tiny socks out of felt – each big enough for a single candle. Then you would pop the candles in the socks and hang them on a ribbon to give them to a pagan friend or loved-one as a gift. I’m sure it would be appreciated.

If you have very steady hands, you could buy a tall pillar or taper candle and paint numbers on it using candle paints.However, it is fiddly to get small numbers straight when you are painting them by hand in liquid wax on a candle. I have tried it myself and the result was not anything I would want to share on my blog…

By the way – you might spot that the antique candle holder my Aldi candle is sitting in is the one on the front cover of on my book Pagan Portals – Candle Magic: A witch’s guide to spells and rituals.
Links
https://www.aldi.co.uk/en/specialbuys/sun-1-nov/product-detail/ps/p/advent-candle-2/
Advent Pyramid Christmas Candle
Lakeland Christmas Advent Tree Pillar Candle (Each Date Burns Up To 120 Minutes)
Traditional Advent Candle Set – Set of 4 Candles
Yankee Candle 2015 Advent Calender Carousel Gift Set 1351178
Marabu Xmas Stars Candle Liner Set

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