Candles have been around for around 5,000 years. Nowadays, they are more often used for occasional romantic ambiance than for utilitarian purposes, but that's still a long time for a tool to remain largely unchanged in method and construction.

With lightbulbs becoming more efficient and long lasting, why have candles at all?

Here’s the thing. We still have power outages, and despite batteries getting better and longer lasting to keep up with all the technology we now depend on, they still lose charge if there is no power. Those who remember going to airports pre-covid may also remember how many people were frantically wandering around looking for a stray plug to charge their phone. Until the airports started putting charging stations at strategic locations, the hallways used to get filled with people sitting by plugs.

When power goes out we need to save all and any battery driven devices from being used unless absolutely necessary. Your cellphone has now become a real lifeline. Also, unless you have a gas oven or gas fireplace, most of us now can’t cook food or keep ourselves warm anymore. Flashlights can help us see but are not a good long term light source because again, batteries.

This is where candles come in handy. You don’t have to buy anything fancy, or with added scents. Unscented Tea lights, candlesticks, or candle pillars all do a swell job of giving light and heat to your home when the power goes out. Yes just a few candles in a room can give just enough heat to take the edge off freezing temperatures!

Best place to buy them? IKEA! You can of course also buy them at all Dollar type stores, and most other big box stores such as Walmart or Target, but I have found the quality of the candles at IKEA to be generally pretty good. Also, since you are at IKEA, you can also buy a container to put them into for storage. Win/win!

Fun fact: Most candlesticks will burn 1 inch an hour on average.

If you are feeling crafty you also look up emergency candle recipes on Pinterest and find the formula that best suits your needs. Yes you can make a candle give out more heat, or burn brighter. You can even use them to cook food if necessary!

Of course, as with any open flame, do not leave it unattended. While candles seem

benign enough they are still a fire risk! If you have kids, take a moment to familiarize them with the potential dangers of an open flame.

Once that is done, gather round the candles, embrace a moment of hygge, practice the art of conversation, share stories, play card games and board games to while away the time. It is good for the soul!

Until next time, be somewhat prepared.