Dining By Candlelight

“The candle’s bright.
It’s just been lit.
At the table it’s time to sit.”
CMA

“By the peaceful light of the candles,
The family dines calmly in silence.”
CMA

Ah, the light of a candle…

Who doesn’t love the soothing, peaceful feeling that arises when a candle is burning? Candlelight can set a mood unlike any other form of light. My parents always burned candles at the dining room table at meal-time when I was a child. It was a small daily ritual: First, my father would get the matches down from the top of the fridge, where they were safe from us little ones. Then he lit the candles, blew out the match, and tossed it in the kitchen sink. Next, he turned down the overhead lights. Once this happened, we knew Mom would bring our plates of food out shortly. The light was relaxing to us at the end of the day, and it signified the beginning of the calm of the evening. Candlelight at the dinner table encouraged us to slow down, unwind, and savor every bite of our food.

In addition to the lighting provided by the candles on the dining room table, the candles were a part of the décor even when they were not burning. My mother always placed the candles in decorative holders, which were usually surrounded by freshly cut flowers from the garden. Her choice of candle color varied with the season and the rest of the décor, as she always tried to coordinate them with the flowers and place settings on the table. As the dining room was in the front of the house, this was the first thing visitors always saw when they walked in the front door… A warm, inviting space.

Tina’s Tip: Always place your candles on something that will protect your furniture from drips and stains from the wax dye. A small saucer will usually do the trick.