Crisis time is candle time

The desire for a relaxed and decelerated time before Christmas is an illusion. Between Munich, the capital of the blessed with art, culture and FC Bayern Munich, it is only 1395 km to Kyiv.

This makes it all the more important to come home to calm down and gather strength. In the darker months of the year, candles provide relaxation and a sense of security.

The power of candlelight transforms a quick dinner of tinned sardines and good bread into a star meal. A relaxing candlelit bath at home is more valuable than any crowded wellness area in a hotel.

You can never have enough candles. But it’s worth paying attention to the quality.

Candle production © Ester & Erik, Denmark

The truth is in the wax

Hardly distinguishable from the outside, the majority of candles are mainly made of stearin, kerosene or beeswax.

Kerosene wax is a by-product of the petroleum processing industry and is also found in cosmetics, sweets and the wax rind of some cheeses. Kerosene wax is generally classified as harmless. However, as with any raw material, the quality depends on the purity of the substances.

Inferior kerosene wax, which is used for some candles, can contain residues of heavy metals. You would have to be in a huge sea of candles every day for the limits to be exceeded, which can cause damage to the body. A very high sulphur content in the kerosene used can also lead to the emission of sulphur dioxide when the candle burns.

But why take the risk, especially as we are also exposed to these heavy metals in other parts of our lives.

We prefer to use candles made from stearin, a mixture of animal and/or vegetable fats and oils, for example from rapeseed, shea, soy or other plants. If you want to be on the right ecological side here, choose a candle with a RAL and organic label.

You will notice that you will hardly find such a seal on any candle that you quickly pick up at a discount store, drugstore or supermarket.

Scented candle production © Ester & Erik, Denmark

Scandinavia, where hygge has always been the order of the day

The long cold winters probably played a role in the emergence of traditional candle companies in countries such as Denmark and Sweden, which on the one hand specify exactly which basic materials their candles are made from and on the other hand offer candles in elegant Scandinavian designs.

During the Christmas season, the candles from two candle manufacturers are on the table and on the windowsill at GloriousMe.

Danish design with quality

Ester & Erik produce candles from stearin in a very traditional way: The candles are dipped several times in a vat of color. They are therefore not dyed through, but only show their color on the outer skin.

And these colors are particularly elegant. While you often only have the choice between white, beige, burgundy and signal red, with Ester and Erik you can choose from 94 shades. This makes buying candles a pleasure.

Color scale with 94 shades, Ester & Erik, Denmark

Fancy transforming your home into a collection of candles in different shades of blue or decorating your home with candles in beautiful yellow and orange tones?

Even with the candles for the Christmas tree, you can choose not only between white and red but 94 different colors, so that the candles on the tree can also shine in Almond Butter, Saffron Dust or Rose Quartz. All available online with a delivery time of one week. Our order for the candles on the Christmas tree is out.

With the seal of the royal Swedish family

Do you still have fond memories of your last vacation in Stockholm? Then Liljeholmens Stearinfabrik would be something for you. They have been producing candles there for 185 years and it is illuminating to see the elegant colors and shapes in which candles can be produced.

Candle production © Ester & Erik, Denmark

The famous white channel candles from Liljehomens Stearinfabrik are also available from Manufaktum, with air channels so that the hot wax flows inside the candle and does not drip onto the table. The candles are made of stearin and bear the Norwegian eco-label and the Swedish royal family’s seal of approval. Royal pleasure without a guilty conscience.

Busy bees

Candles made from beeswax have a correspondingly high price tag, because the production of a candle made from beeswax requires a whole colony of bees, no matter how industrious they are.

Unfortunately, as with any fine product, there are many imitations on the market or candles that claim to be made from beeswax but only have beeswax added.

The market share of candles made from beeswax in Germany is around 0.8 percent. Finding the noble, pure product made from beeswax that is as local as possible is not easy.

But it is easy to do something good with candles. The age-old craft of candle-making is used by some social institutions to provide work for people with physical or mental disabilities or to finance facilities for homeless people with the money raised. Just two of many examples are the Franziska Werkstatt in Frankfurt am Main or the candles of the Weizenkorn Stiftung in Basel, which a dear reader drew our attention to.

We wish you many happy hours by candlelight.

Scented candles from Ester & Erik © Ester & Erik, Denmark

Last minute gifts

Candles are always a welcome gift if you don’t know many private details about the recipient. The candles from Ester & Erik can be found on the shelves of many good florists.

If you want to order candles with colors for your home directly from Denmark, you will also find scented candles with natural aromas in beautifully shaped white ceramic containers, which are not only a good gift idea for Christmas and which can then be used as candle holders or small table vases.

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Photography © Ester & Erik, Denmark