Candles

If I had to pick just one thing to represent life in Norway, it would be a candle.  Norwegians use a lot of candles.  They not only have them burning on tables and in window sills when company arrives, but they have a hardy type, made just for the outdoors, to light the way for their anticipated guests.  Many stores and restaurants also have those candles burning in the winter in front of their doors, so it’s easy to see which businesses are open.

Specially made candles are also sold just for graveyards.  Dead loved ones are respectfully remembered on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, as candles that burn all night long, are placed on their graves.  It’s beautiful to drive by the cemetery on those dark winter nights and see it all lit up. 

The squatty little tea light candles are used most often and placed in beautiful candle holders in homes, and burn for company or everyday use. Norwegians light them even if they are home alone because there is something special about the glow and flicker of the flame that they truly love. 

For holidays, the long tapered candles get used quite a bit, and the color of the candle tells which holiday it is.  During Advent, only purple candles are used.  Once Christmas arrives, only the red or white ones are out.  At Easter, yellow candles dominate households. 

I thought it was funny that the week after Easter, all the yellow candles were on sale for half off, because no one would dare use a yellow candle any other time of year except at Easter.  It was the same for the purple candles after Advent and the red ones after Christmas. 

On the 17^th of May, Norway’s Constitution Day, they sell a highly specialized candle that has the colors of the Norwegian flag layered in it.  No one would ever burn those candles on any day other than the 17^th of May, either.  Conformity is everything in Norway.

But the coolest tradition, literally, Norwegians have around the use of candles, is that they build snowmen or snow sculptures in their yards and put outdoor candles inside of them.  It’s such an odd effect – snow and fire mixing to make art.  My favorite was a big dome made out of snow balls with a large candle burning inside so all the space between the balls was glowing.  It makes for a nice winter evening activity to walk down the street and see all the creations lit up. It beats the heck out of a typical American form of evening entertainment, which provides glowing lights alright, but sadly, just from the television.