Candles

Following the light

Students look for candles that provide peace, tranquility

Dating back to the Ancient Egyptians 5,000 years ago, candles have long been a source of light for people worldwide. While candles once served a utilitarian purpose, now they are not needed for visibility, but they still can light up a room. “ ey add something to the environment,” senior Natania Dominanni said. “You can always spice something up with candles. You got a boring room? Put a candle in there and it adds a little bit of chill to the environment. It brings up the morale.” Candles are readily available at superstores like Target and Walmart that have a limited selection, but some prefer more candle-centric stores with more variety in terms of scents, seasonal choices and shapes. “Yankee Candle is a great store,” Dominianni said. “ ey have a really nice standard size, about the size of a small pumpkin. And I really like the fruity ones, so, for example, the apple-scented ones. I also really like the Christmas-y ones, so ones that smell like spices, because I think it makes everything smell warm.” While some like Dominianni have a favorite store, others like sophomore Emma Piccione do not. For her, it is about nding the candle that is just right for her. “I don’t shop for candles anywhere speci cally,” Piccione said. “But when I’m looking for one, I only pay attention to the smells.” ere is an alternative to buying candles from the store, as some have taken to making homemade candles. is has led to some mixed results. “I made candles one time in 7th grade for a science project,” Piccione said. “ ey were quite small and they didn’t smell nice.” Others have been more successful with homemade candles. Senior Spencer Smith’s mom makes candles and then he uses them in his room. “When my mom walks in, she won’t go, ‘Wow, your room smells bad’ but will go, ‘It smells good’ instead. It’s a good feeling for your room to smell nice,” Smith said. Scents di erentiate candles from each other. ere is the di erence between the type of scents as well as the fact that candles can vary in how strong the scent is. Smith does not care for oral candles but, overall, is not too picky. “If I’ve had the same scent for a while, I’ll look for something new and refreshing,” Smith said. “But if I’ve only had it for one cycle, I’ll get the same one until I’m tired of it.” For many unique reasons, people enjoy having a candle in their room. Whether nding a new scent at Yankee Candle like Dominianni, borrowing them from family members like Piccione or going downstairs and grabbing a fresh, homemade candle like Smith, a simple candle can do wonders. “If you have the willpower to get up and light a match and light the candle, you should do it because it smells good and is fun,” Smith said. “Life is temporary, candle is forever.”

Nate Albin albinnat000hsestudents.org

Graphics by Nate Albin and Malak Samara.