Contents
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A candle is a symbol of the sun, light, life, spirituality, communication with God, with the world of the dead, with angels. It illuminates the path and gives warmth. It is a symbol of faith and hope, a companion of a person on his way of life.
Candle history
A long time ago, the prototype of the candle was a bowl filled with fat, a splinter played the role of a wick. Later, the sliver was replaced by a strip of cloth, but such lamps were smoked, emitting an unpleasant odor.
Candles of modern design appeared in the Middle Ages. They were made from wax. They were expensive, so they were used in the homes of rich people, but their soot made the ceilings black.
The classic candle shape appeared in the XNUMXth century. Two centuries later, candle wax was invented. The candles did not smoke, but were laborious to manufacture.
In 1820, the French chemist Chevreul invented stearic wax, which was hard, odorless, and sootless. Its production was not costly. In the XX century, thanks to chemists, petroleum wax or paraffin appeared. Later, refractory stearin was added to its composition.
Candle: application
candles are used as:
- lighting source;
- decorative element;
- aromatization of premises;
- at a wedding in Orthodoxy;
- in religious ceremonies of Christians, Jews, Buddhists;
- in temples;
- lit in front of the icon;
- during fervent prayer;
- fortune-telling.
Types of candles
- household: the cheapest of white paraffin;
- dining rooms: elongated in different colors;
- hemp: large diameter, without candlestick;
- church: from beeswax;
- tea: flat “tablets” in an aluminum case;
- decorative: multicolored, carved, in the form of figurines;
- gel: made of glycerin, transparent. Used for compositions in glass containers.
Candle in popular belief
The fire of a wax church candle is considered sacred, cleansing. Once upon a time, especially in villages, there were such candles in every home. They were different and for all everyday occasions. Some lit up during a thunderstorm, others on holidays. Still others were specially kept in order to distribute together with alms to the poor.
Here are the types of candles, according to popular belief, there are:
Passionate candle
This was bought in the church on Maundy Thursday. Therefore, it was also called Thursday and Gospel fire.
From the temple, they carried a candle lit, reverently protecting it from the wind with the help of a special flashlight. At home, a cross was burned out with a flame on the wall or door. This supposedly protected from evil spirits, unkind looks.
A passionate fire was lit if someone in the family was sick, if the mistress could not give birth, and even when someone was dying. Legends also claim that a passionate candle lit in the corner of a house at night featured a brownie.
The Annunciation
This candle was brought from the church after the festive Annunciation service. In the popular way – on the day of the Annunciation, which falls on April 7 according to the modern calendar).
Even in the pre-Christian era, this day was revered as a special one, when “spring overcame winter”. The Slavs believed that birds flew to the Annunciation from the virii (the kingdom of the dead), and reptiles crawl out of the earth. It is not surprising that at this time they were guessing, clicking the spring, performing many magical rituals.
Including, already later, with the Annunciation candle. With her fire, for example, they slightly burned their hair, believing that this would ensure health for the whole year.
Easter
A candle bought on the Easter holiday was also a powerful talisman. They fumigated the hives with it, carried it out into the field – it, the peasants believed, protected the land from moles.
Jordanian
Brought home for Epiphany. In Slavic magic, this day was associated with Dana, the goddess of water. According to legend, the Jordanian candle wards off thunderstorms, floods, and fires. Lit for a wedding, she promised fertility and prosperity.
The hair at the temples was lightly burned by the fire of a candle for the children. Such a ceremony relieved them of their fears, and “enlightened their heads with reason.”
Lofty
It was twisted from three, thinner candles at once on the day of Gromnitsa. In the post-pagan time – the feast of Presentation. Such a candle was put into the hands of the dying, because “a thunderous fire illuminates the road to the next world.”
The flame of this candle has great magical power. She shone when women had difficult childbirth, or a fire broke out in the village. And, of course, at the hour of a thunderstorm or storm.
In some places, it was also believed that a thunderbolt candle protected the village from wolves. If you enter the barn with such a lit candle at night, you can see the brownie.
Wedding
She occupied a special place in the house. After the wedding, the candles of the bride and groom were brought from the church. Then they put it in a bowl with wheat and burned it all night. This, they believed in the villages, ensured the fertility of the family and economy.
“Unequal marriage”, artist Vasily Pukirev, 1820
Fraternal or secular
The candle was the property of the entire village community. It was made with money collected together, and it happened that it weighed several pounds. The worldly candle was kept by all the parishioners in turn. People argued that the owner who keeps a candle at home this year is guaranteed a good profit from the apiary.
It was customary to light a brotherly candle on the eve of a temple holiday. On the holiday itself, she was consecrated in the church. Keeping a brotherly candle at home was a great honor. And also luck – it was believed that she protects the house and households from everything bad.
Trinity candle
Protection from evil spirits, witchcraft and witchcraft. It consisted of three candles dedicated to the earth, sun and moon. They were tied with colored ribbons, supplemented with dried potion, Kupala and Makovey, with spikelets from their own field.
Particularly strong, according to the legends, was a trinity candle made of wax from a personal apiary. It was lit during natural disasters, put into the hands of deceased family members.
This is how the candle fire “fused” together pagan rituals and Christian traditions.
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