The candle is basically a stick of wax with a wick to light it, though in recent times, candles have even become battery-powered, solar-powered or electrically powered. The usage of candles dates many centuries back, and today, they are ubiquitous: every country undoubtedly continues to make use of the traditional candle. The usage can be as simple as to provide illumination in the dark, or sometimes, take on more complex usages such as to recreate a romantic atmosphere, or even to connote religious ideals and Truly unique decoration. In fact, Christianity has made continued use of candles for religious reasons: most churches feature candles to this day. The usage is usually tied to the fact that the light of the candle used to signify God, and the pure stick of wax was to symbolize the purity of Christ.
There are many examples of the usage of candles in Christianity. The Orthodox christening candles, or the baptismal candles are a good example of this. These are candles given to individuals during their baptism. The baptism is one of the most important events in the life of a Christian. It symbolizes entry into the Christian faith for the first time ever – the beginning of a journey as one accepts the holy trinity led by God as their master. Usually, baptism is common amongst newborn babies, but even adult entrants to the Christian faith undergo baptism. In both instances, a close family member or mentor gifts the entrant with a baptismal candle – a special candle that symbolizes their baptism.The unity candles are another ideal example of the importance of candles in the Christian faith. These are a type of wedding ceremony candles that symbolize the union between two people. The unity candles can either be the two baptismal candles of the two individuals, or according to more recent usage, they can be a set of three special candles. In the latter instance, there are two smaller candles that symbolize the two families that are about to be united through the marriage, and one larger candle that symbolizes the union itself. In either tradition, the unity candles are lit by the pastoral candle at the wedding ceremony in the church.
Another good example of candles and their relationship to Christianity is the usage of memorial candles: candles which are used to symbolize the dead during a special event. The special event can be just about anything – a wedding, a birth, a death or more common events even. The memorial candle is lit to signify the continued presence and existence of those who have passed on during that special moment, as well as to signify the fact that they continue to live on in the heart of those who are yet alive.