Okay, YES, this is a serious question. I am not a candle person, however I do have several as 'decoration' only. I don't like burning candles for safety reasons and because so many of them are scented and those really bother me. So, I have several taper candles in candlesticks in the family room and I have some short pillars in the kitchen centerpiece. Am I supposed to burn these for a bit to get them to look right? Isn't leaving the wicks brand new and shiny white equivalent to leaving the plastic on the lampshades? However...then don't they look used and ugly?? A black, sooty wick sounds less attractive than a clean white one....and then the tops will be melted and yucky looking. What exactly is the candle decorating protocol here?

By Eve on Tuesday, January 9, 2007 - 03:07 pm:

The protocol is you are supposed to burn them for a second and blow it out. The tip should be black and I have several for decoration only and they look better burned a little. My Aunt, the professional came and made my DH light everyone, because it was a no no to have new candles! Who knew? LOL

By Annie2 on Tuesday, January 9, 2007 - 03:11 pm:

I agree with Eve and her Aunt.

By Dawnk777 on Tuesday, January 9, 2007 - 03:24 pm:

I know about the safety thing. At my work Christmas party and I got a candleholder, that is about 2-feet high. I'm scared to use it! I would rather have the candle I got with it, on a plate and close to the table, than to have it 2 feet in the air and so easy to knock over, especially with a dog that can get very excited at times.

By Tink on Tuesday, January 9, 2007 - 04:10 pm:

I love to burn candles but only out of any of the dks' reach and we don't have cats now to knock them over. Luckily, our floor plan is pretty open so I don't have to leave them unattended if I go into another room. I do have some that are just for decorative purposes that match our color scheme and I only burn the wicks on those.

ROFL about comparing white wicks to plastic on the lampshades. What kind of faux pas is it to leave the cellophane on the candles like one of my family members does?!

By Kate on Tuesday, January 9, 2007 - 04:14 pm:

Well I do at least remove the candle cellophane....does that garner me any points??
I shall go around lighting candles for an instant tonight.

I'm very annoyed...I bought some candles at Walmart yesterday and the cashier wasn't the slightest bit careful with them and she basically dropped them in the bag and one of them is totally cracked. Walmart is NOT a store I like going to, let alone exchanging at!

By Bea on Tuesday, January 9, 2007 - 06:40 pm:

I'd take it back and ask to see the manager. Then I'd demand an extra candle for having to spend my time returning something that their employee was responsible for breaking AFTER I'd paid for it. Believe me. They would give me a dozen candles to shut me up. I can really be demanding if I'm in that type of situation, and I almost always get what I want.
....and yes the protocol is to simply char the wick slightly for a displayed candle.

By Trina~moderator on Tuesday, January 9, 2007 - 07:10 pm:

Oh my goodness, the candle police are going to come get me! I have several candles, some of which have never been burned and some that have. Sorry, but I have much more important things to worry about. LOL!

By Imamommyx4 on Tuesday, January 9, 2007 - 07:41 pm:

The candles on the sconces in my bedroom have never been burned. Don't tell the candle police on me.

By Imamommyx4 on Tuesday, January 9, 2007 - 07:43 pm:

BTW--I realize that you are serious and I don't mean to make fun. That's not polite. But it always cracks me up when I find out about "rules" like this. I am such a rebel that I may never burn the ones in my bedroom. LOL

By Kate on Tuesday, January 9, 2007 - 08:12 pm:

Oh goodness, Debbie, no offense taken at all!! I'm trying to see my house thru new eyes and am making a list of projects to tackle. Lighting candles and blowing them out was by far the easiest on the list, LOL! If only they could all be simple.... I've had these candles for 12 years!!!! For 12 years I've had these bright white wicks!! Now I have ugly black ones.

By Cocoabutter on Tuesday, January 9, 2007 - 08:26 pm:

I do not have a large collection of candles because my house is so small that I really don't have a lot of places to put them. But, I do love candles and the scents that they create in the home.

My dh (who is not a member of the candle police) says that it makes no sense to him to have a candle if you are not going to burn it, sort of like buying a brand new car and putting it up on blocks in the garage.

I had a sconce once that I thought looked beautiful on the wall, and it was even more beautiful when it was all lit up. We took it down to paint, and it broke.

By Hol on Tuesday, January 9, 2007 - 10:05 pm:

My house is small, too, so it makes the scents from the candles disburse throughout the house. I burn all of my candles. I thought that is what they are for! LOL! I am just very careful with them because I do have cats. I mostly put them on a saucer (the "jar" candles like Yankee Candles) and burn them on my stove top. I might also burn one on the vanity in the bathroom sometimes.

My DD has a "warmer" that is like an electric hot plate. You put your jar candle on it, and it gets soft like the tarts and disburses the smell. They got the warmer because they had a candle burning on the kitchen table one evening, and one of their cats jumped up and caught himself on fire! My SIL ran after him because his tail was on fire. He ran behind the couch, too, so they were afraid he'd ignite the couch as well as burn himself up. Tom caught him and dunked him in water. Yikes!

When I was in cosmetology school, one of my instructors had a boyfriend who was fire fighter. He said that an awful lot of house fires are caused by candles.

By Dawnk777 on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - 08:17 am:

Hol, that is why I don't burn my candles much. DH has taken pictures at too many house fires, that were caused by candles. He is very paranoid.

When I had book discussion at my house, last month, though, and we were in the living room for several hours, then I had my candles lit!

By Sandysmom on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - 08:46 am:

I LOVE candles and I love to burn them. I haven't bought taper candles in a while, but the candles I do have, I burn. If i did have taper candles, I would probably make a mess of them.

By Tonya on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - 09:02 am:

We burn so many candles in our house it is crazy. Each room has candles and each room smells different. And they all burn every night. I like to have a nice smelling room. Usually Rich gets home before me and has them already lit when I get there.

By Imamommyx4 on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - 11:19 pm:

Kate--I was putting away the last of my Christmas decorations today. I had this pretty gold candle that I bought this year. I burnt the wick in your honor. I really did. LOL I just didn't want the candle police snooping around my house.