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Votive Candles
Votive candles are small cylindrical candles usually 2-3 inches high and 1-2 inches in diameter. You will find that votive candles are among the most popular ones, and they last about 15 or 20 hours.
All quality votive candles must be burned in a proper heat resistant container - a votive candle holder, to retain the wax, since votive candles usually completely liquefy when lit. Considering that the candle flame must have a pool of molten wax to draw from, if you burn a votive on a flat holder or a plate, the burning time will be shorter because the candle will loose it's shape and basically become a puddle, drowning out the wick.
Love and devotion
You have probably seen votive candles in restaurants; they usually take the uncolored / unscented votive candles and put them on the tables as romantic light sources. They don't want to light the colored and scented ones because it would probably get in the way of the color and the aroma of the food.Or you've seen votive candles in churches - the word "votive" actually comes from the Latin word meaning "vow"; vow being a promise made for spiritual or religious purposes.
As far back as the middle ages, votive candles were lit to symbolize the taking of a vow or to acknowledge devotion. Often votive candles are lit and devoted to the memory of a loved one who has passed away or as an offering to favor the answering of a prayer.
That's why votive candles were intended to burn for long periods of time, to symbolize the intensity of our emotions.
Choose your favorite votive candle combination
The most common wax used for traditional votive candles was paraffin wax - which is known to emit toxic soot.Luckily, today's votive candles are made from different types of wax and they come in a vast variety of colors and fragrances. Ivory / Vanilla is frequently the most popular color / fragrance, followed closely by Red / Spice.
And then there is a myriad of votive candle holders that can make a spectacle even out of the simplest votive candle. You can have colored glass votive candle holders, clear glass votive candle cups, beautiful stained glass holders (glows magnificently with a votive candle burning inside) or you can have decorated glass votive candle lamps... Just make sure you take a heat resistant glass votive cup.
Your own galaxy
Since votive candles are small and pillar shaped, they look especially cute if you light few of them around the room, or an entire galaxy for special enjoyment or a special person. Outdoors, you can dot a few votive candles in your garden or around the pool and they will make a lovely atmosphere for a party, too. Or you can simply put them in the bathroom, dip into a bubble bath, close your eyes and be that special person yourself.