Questions about Beeswax Taper Candles

[ravynangel1980]

Hi,

My name's Sarah. I'm 26 and live in NC. I'm a cradle Catholic who has an interest in Eastern Orthodoxy. I've just started to read some about the Eastern Orthodox Church. The only Orthodox parish, that I know of, in my area is a small Greek Orthodox mission church. I have actually thought about attending Divine Liturgy there.

The reason I'm actually posting this is because I've got a question about candles.

As I explored the internet, I found pictures of various Orthodox parishes with these really long skinny candles. As a Catholic, I've always used votives both in church and also on my home altar.

Do the candles that Orthodox Christians use have to be made out of beeswax?

What is the reasoning behind using the long skinny taper candles?

Do Orthodox Christians use these at home, as well as at church, at their icon corners?

If not, what other type of candles do you use?

I honestly like these candles a lot better than the paraffin wax votive candles that I've always used. Would it be fine for a Catholic to use such candles or are would that be considered taboo?

Thank you. I look forward to getting some feedback on this. Take care.

God bless you,
Sarah

 

[Theophorus]

The purpose of the tradition I believe is that no animal fat was to be used or burned for worship. Olive oil is also used in votives. Petroleum candles are relatively new so where they fit in varies in their acceptance. Some parishes and monasteries use beeswax exclusively because of tradition. Some have made the arguement that petroleum is ultimately a form of an animal. Many parishes do use "normal" candles.

Yes you can use them at home, many people do. One tradition I have heard is to say a prayer along the lines of, "Lord, may your grace illumine my soul and soften my heart as this flame illumines and softens this candle", or something like that.

Many churches with nice iconography prefer beeswax candles because they emit far less soot than conventional candles, thus protecting their icons. Plus beeswax candles burn longer.

As far as the lengths, I only assume they are intended to last for most of the service, but there may be more to it than that.

 

[Xpycoctomos]

I don't know the theological reason behind beeswax (other than it's maybe more natural????) but a practical reason (or at least it worked out nicely this way) is that they don't leave hardly any residue which is important if you have... say.... a Church full of icons that you hope will last for hundreds of years (hypothetically of course )

At my Church (and many that I've seen) along with the long beeswax candles, we also use votives. This is probably more of a western influence since I didn't see them used in Romania at all (but I was only there two weeks).

As far as using them... well there is nothing exclusively orthdoox about using them. IT's purely cultural. We don't have exclusive rights on the beeswax Candles. It would be like a methodist asking you if he or she could use votives. Ya know?

More importantly, how did you run across Orthdooxy? What interested you in it?

Are you near W-S? (I have relatives there... there's a nice well-established Greek Parish there by the way ).

God bless and welcome to TAW,

John

 

[Xpycoctomos]

The purpose of the tradition I believe is that no animal fat was to be used or burned for worship. Olive oil is also used in votives. Petroleum candles are relatively new so where they fit in varies in their acceptance. Some parishes and monasteries use beeswax exclusively because of tradition. Some have made the arguement that petroleum is ultimately a form of an animal. Many parishes do use "normal" candles.

Yes you can use them at home, many people do. One tradition I have heard is to say a prayer along the lines of, "Lord, may your grace illumine my soul and soften my heart as this flame illumines and softens this candle", or something like that.

Many churches with nice iconography prefer beeswax candles because they emit far less soot than conventional candles, thus protecting their icons. Plus beeswax candles burn longer.

As far as the lengths, I only assume they are intended to last for most of the service, but there may be more to it than that.

thanks for that! Very interesting!

 

[Monica child of God 1]

The main reason that I have been taught is that the softness of beeswax is supposed to remind us of how our hearts should be toward God. At home I use both tapers and beeswax votives (the best of both traditions maybe ).

Welcome to TAW. Feel free to ask what ever questions cross your mind.

Monica

 

[Anhelyna]

Important practical point - they don't drip

And they smell wonderful

And the light is much softer.

I love beeswax candles

 

[Khaleas]

They do not smoke the same way regular candles do (my church used to have both but the regular ones smoked a lot). I use both tapers and votives at home - both beeswax. I also use my olive oil lamp with a cotton wick.
I burn a candle or votive in my icon corner every evening when I'm home (sometimes a votive through the night) and I have no smoke residue anywhere (and what there is I think is more from my incense than anything else).

You might want to look here:
http://www.orthodoxyinamerica.com/sr/locator.php?cntry=USA&PHPSESSID=900d7eb722cda273bb9c1206e04ec779

and see what churches are around you.

 

[HandmaidenOfGod]

Important practical point - they don't drip

Huh?? Our beeswax candles drip like crazy.

In fact the ushers often go around monitering the candles during services, and put out the ones that start dripping too much.

In the UOC parish I was raised in, we used the parafin candles, and that worked nice because they were in the glass votive holders, so you didn't have to worry about them getting wax everywhere.

Personally, I like 'em both.

 

[RobNJ]

Our beeswax candles drip, and having bought some for use at the home icon corner, I know why.... The wick starts to curl over to one side, and it makes the candle burn unevenly.

 

[ravynangel1980]

Hi,

Thanks everyone who has responded to my post. I appreciate it very much.

Those all seem like really great reasons to use beeswax candles over the paraffin wax ones. I don't blame them for not wanting to dirty the beautiful icons in the parish.

I have had beeswax candles in the past, more for decorative purposes and not for spiritual purposes. I know when I used them that they definitely had a better smell and also didn't have all that nasty smoke.

I do like the idea of using them now in my private devotional time. I wasn't sure if the tapers and votives both were used or not. I saw a site that made and sold both.

I live in Greenville. I know there is a Greek Orthodox mission church about maybe 15 min. or so from where I live. I've heard that they have about 25 to 30 people regularly. I know that their main priest recently left. He was going back and forth between Raleigh and this church here. Now his assistant priest there is now the main priest. If I'm correct.

I think I've always been interested in Eastern Orthodoxy. I had heard of Greek and Russian Orthodox Christians. That's the only ones at that time.

Honestly I'll have to say that at first it was probably aesthetics that intrigued me. I know that probably sounds shallow and I'm sorry. I was fascinated by the look of Orthodox priests and monks. It was very different from what I'm used to. I fell in love with iconography. I thought that there seemed something so spiritually nourishing about icons. They seem to drawn you in. There were other things, such as the music and I'll admit the candles.

Then I started to actually read some stuff about Orthodoxy. The more I read the more I feel drawn to it. I do want to pursue more of a study of Eastern Orthodoxy to see what God wants for me.

I know I'm not really happy in the Catholic Church. To me they have modernized themselves way too much. Most of the parishes around here seem to be very Protestant-like. It's basically like stepping into the Episcopal Church. Then the music is horrendous. I'm tired of singing all these songs that were written in the last 30 years when there are all these centuries worth of beautiful sacred music. I've always been more drawn to pictures than statues though. At my devotional area at home, I had actually been putting up pictures of the saints instead of statues. I see people go into Mass wearing shorts and other things I would never be caught dead in. They talk all during the Mass. I hear a lot of complaints from the older Catholics about the state of the Church.

To me the Orthodox Church seems like the ancient Church. It doesn't seem like it's trying to get with the times. From what I've seen online it really seems like it would be spiritually fulfilling, that God is really there. Does any of that make sense or not?

I do want to read and study more about the Orthodox Church. Who knows what will happen.

Oh yeah. I do have a few more things that I wanted to ask about the candles.

What sites online are the best to buy them from?

The places I've seen all have candles that are at least 8" or 9" long at the shortest. Are there any places online that sell any of the tapers in a shorter size? Or if something like that would be too long on your altar table would it be ok to cut them in half?

Also for the tapers, would you need like a bowl full of sand that you could stick them in or what? I'm curious as to what's the best way to use them in the home?

I've heard of Orthodox Christians having a vigil lamp. I definitely don't think I am ready yet, if ever, for using oil though. I could see using votive candles as well, but I couldn't leave them burning all the time. My landlord wouldn't allow that. What is your best methods of cleaning up after using a votive candle?

My problem's always been that the candle holders I use for my votives get all this wax residue in them that I have to clean up. It's always hard to clean it up. I do like the idea of using the beeswax votives as well as the taper ones. Any tips for cleaning up the wax residue from the votives off of the holders, etc. you put them in or is there anyway to prevent it from getting messed up in the first place?

Thanks a lot. I appreciate your feedback. Take care.

God bless you all,
Sarah

 

[eoe]

Beeswax candles are better in almost every possible way. As others have stated they have a nice smell, burn evenly, don't drip and are near soot free.

I use them at home along with olive oil lamps and really love them.

If you want a really good place to buy them I suggest the Holy Monastery of the Glorious Ascention in Resaca, Georgia. Inexpensive, hand dipped candles. Can not beat them for price or quality and you get to support the monastery too!

 

[Theophorus]

Some "beeswax" candles may not be all beeswax. They are mixed with parafin and other waxes. This would contribute to the dripping problem. Even though beeswax candles drip a little, if they are pure, it is substantially less.

 

[Ioan cel Nou]

At my Church (and many that I've seen) along with the long beeswax candles, we also use votives. This is probably more of a western influence since I didn't see them used in Romania at all (but I was only there two weeks).

No, they don't use votives in Romania at all. You'd never have seen them in an Orthodox Church no matter how long you'd have stayed. Strangely though, here in Britain you do sometimes see votives even in the Romanian parishes. Our parish always has a few votives next to the beeswax candles but I've never yet actually seen anyone light one. I wonder if it's just a sort of concession to any westerners (though I'm almost always the only one) who might attend. Most of our parishioners are from Moldova (not the Republic, the state in Romania) and, like my wife, they'd be unlikely to think that votives were much use unless they were at home stuck in a power cut.

I do have to ask, though, does anyone really think that using beeswax candles as opposed to paraffin ones is going to protect the icons for hundreds of years? I can assure you it won't. I was married in a 15th century church in Bucovina where they most certainly use nothing but beeswax but the icons (now, thankfully, being restored) were so black you could barely see who was depicted. The main church in Siret, which is nowhere near as old, even moved where the candles are burned into a sort of outside chapel after their frescoes were cleaned in an effort to protect them in future.

James

 

[Monica child of God 1]

This thread reminds me of one of the dangers of Pascha: falling fire. We use those brass candle holders filled with sand. There are so many worshippers at Pascha that the candle holders are crammed. As candles burn down, they begin to melt other candles in the middle until they bend and you get a chunk of fire falling on you. Beware.

Also, ladies be careful of your hair and scarves during Holy Week. We always have at least one person who gets their hair or veil ignited by someone's candle.

The joys of the holy season

M.

 

[Theophorus]

Soak the candle holders in hot water.

 

[Xpycoctomos]

I do have to ask, though, does anyone really think that using beeswax candles as opposed to paraffin ones is going to protect the icons for hundreds of years? I can assure you it won't. I was married in a 15th century church in Bucovina where they most certainly use nothing but beeswax but the icons (now, thankfully, being restored) were so black you could barely see who was depicted. The main church in Siret, which is nowhere near as old, even moved where the candles are burned into a sort of outside chapel after their frescoes were cleaned in an effort to protect them in future.

Exactly, think how much quicker they would have blackened had they used chemical candles. They really are better because they don't let off nearly as much soot.

 

[Oblio]

If there is a draft of any sort, the thermal gradient around the flame will be asymetrical WRT the longitudinal axis and the candle (beeswax or not) will drip.

[/geek]

 

[Ioan cel Nou]

Exactly, think how much quicker they would have blackened had they used chemical candles. They really are better because they don't let off nearly as much soot.

I don't doubt that they're better, in that they're less sooty, but somebody in this thread mentioned protecting icons for, hopefully, hundreds of years. Simply using beeswax candles won't do that. Especially not considering all the incense we also burn.

James

 

[Xpycoctomos]

I don't doubt that they're better, in that they're less sooty, but somebody in this thread mentioned protecting icons for, hopefully, hundreds of years. Simply using beeswax candles won't do that. Especially not considering all the incense we also burn.

James

That was me. It seems I was wrong on the amount of time... but they still help out. That is at least a reason I have read and heard in more than one place.

For me, however, it's the color and the smell. I love the smell and sometimes i wonder if there is supposed to be a symbolic connection between the candles' smell of honey nad St. John the Baptist who ate honey and locusts. It might seem like kind of a stretch, and I've never read that anywhere, but it still makes me think of him.

 

[Oblio]

When looking at the sources of the tradition, remember that it is not beeswax vs. parafin but rather beeswax vs. tallow. (Was it petroleum based wax in 18 c Russia ?) I think the soot difference might be much more substantial a few hundred years ago.