What comes to mind when you think of traditional Christmas decorations? Maybe you envision a pine wreath with a red bow on a door framed in garland as candles glow in every window.
Evergreens and candles have been part of winter celebrations for centuries. Many ancient cultures decorated with evergreen boughs during the winter as a reminder that life would return in the spring.
Candles lit their long, cold winter nights and were sometimes set by the window to guide travelers home. Window candles became a source of light, guidance and the promise of welcome.
Irish Roots
Many sources state that the window candle is an Irish tradition that goes back hundreds of years. Most agree the custom developed in the 17th and 18th centuries when Irish Catholics were forbidden from practicing their religion.
Christmas Tradition
In northern parts of the world, like Ireland, the sun sets early in the winter. So it makes sense that window candles were more common in December, when nights were at their longest and darkest. The fact that this period coincides with Christmas may be one reason why window candle lights became linked with the holiday.
Another explanation for the candles’ association with Christmas is that suspicious British law-keepers wondering about lights in the windows were told the candles were a way to symbolically welcome Joseph, Mary and Jesus as they sought shelter.
Either way, there’s no doubt that a wayfarer might have gratefully viewed a light in a window as a signpost along their journey and an indication of welcome.
Colonial Custom
In Colonial America, candles might be placed in windows for many reasons: to remember a lost loved one, to rejoice in a family member’s safe return, to signify a birth or in gratitude for a blessing. Inns sometimes used window candles to indicate that rooms were available.
However, windowsill candles weren’t necessarily a Christmas tradition, since Colonials didn’t mark the holiday as we do today.
In the early 1930s, curators at Colonial Williamsburg sought a special way to commemorate Christmas. A staff member recalled his family’s practice of placing candles in the windows of their home. From that suggestion, a tradition was born at the living history community that spread in popularity, especially as electric candles became available.
The practice also somewhat misleadingly cemented Christmas window candles as a classically Colonial decoration.
In reality, it seems Irish immigrants introduced the Christmas custom to America well before Colonial Williamsburg appropriated it.
Menorah in the Window
The tradition of placing candles in the window is not just a Christian custom.
In December, you might also spot a menorah in the window of a home celebrating Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights.
A Hanukkah menorah is a special candelabra that holds nine candles. Each night of Hanukkah, an additional candle is lit until all the candles are glowing by the final evening.
Placing the menorah in the window is a way to publicly affirm one’s faith.
In that way, publicly displaying a menorah is not unlike the custom of Christmas window candles.
In each home, candles burn brightly as symbols of faith.
A Candle in Every Window
Centuries ago, candles were costly and used sparingly, so it’s likely a single candle or even a lantern might have been set by the window.
These days, instead of using standard candles, which are a fire hazard, most people opt for flameless options.
Styles vary. You can still find single windowsill candles, or candoliers, but three-light and five-light Christmas candelabra are also common. Look for Christmas candle lamps that mimic Colonial styles, ivory plastic versions and candles with bulbs that flicker realistically.
Instead of a live flame, opt for flameless electric window candles, battery-operated candles and even remote-control candles.
Window candles are a fairly inexpensive way to decorate, enabling you to place a warm and welcoming light in every window during the Christmas season.
