Do Candles Make Your Life Better?
Every year, publications like The World Happiness Report, The Economist, Bloomberg rank the Scandinavian countries as the happiest countries on earth-with Denmark consistently at the top.
There is are many reasons for this, but one interesting intangible reason is the idea of “Hygge.” Simply put, this is the concept of coziness. Warm woolen socks, soft jazz on the hi-fi, a bottle of Burgundy, or even a flickering candle. It’s really up to you and what makes you relax and feel happy.
Imagine, the candlelight casting soft glows around the house during the blustering winter nights or juxtaposed by fireflies outside on soft summer evenings. The calming flicker and mesmerizing flame is just so tranquil to be around. Yet, to equate happiness of Denmark with candles is a stretch… but they might be on to something?
Starting from the 2000s (coincidentally around the Great Recession), candles have begun to enter the mainstream and no longer were reserved for romantic dinners or special occasions. People had begun to integrate candles into their daily habit after work or on the weekends. The Danes burn 13lbs (6kg) of candles per person per year. That’s a lot of wax!
It has been found that candles are simply just calm and comforting. The warmth and dancing flame is very peaceful. Whilst (optionally) the scent acts as aroma therapy. As the world spluttered to a halt in 2020 and people stayed in their homes more, candle consumption has dramatically increased. It has been shown that people wanted that little indulgence to make their home just that much more comfortable. Is it the warm energy of a lighted candle that helps set the tone of the morning wake-up or evening wind-down?
Will lighting a candle solve all of your problems? Probably not. Will watching Netflix and having a candle flickering in the background relax you? Probably yes. Will you be slightly happier in the long run? You tell me.
Some tips to make sure you’re making the most of your candle:
- Each time you light the candle, make sure you burn it all the way to the edge of the candle-this ensures that all of the wax will be utilized. If you burn it before it goes to the edge, this causes “tunneling” in which a narrow cylinder of your candle will be spent. You will have lost hours off the maximum burn time!
- As seen below, your wick will naturally form a “mushroom.” It is best to snip off this little plume as you will be able to have a more controlled and smokeless burn.
- Try to keep your candle on a level and draft-less surface. This will ensure aneven burn and utilization of the wax.