Printable sheet
Christmas window candle beside a mug of cocoa and a gift, with a snowy cottage outside. Download the free PDF for a quiet holiday page.
Printable sheet
Free for personal and educational use
Download PDFPrintA window with a bow and greenery, hanging ornaments, a sill with a cocoa mug and candy cane, a lit candle, a gift and berries, and a cottage, pines and snow outside.
Use cool blues outside and warm tones on the sill for a cozy contrast.
Light a candle with a grown-up and share a family holiday tradition.
In Sweden and other Nordic countries, glowing paper stars are often hung in windows during December.
A Christmas window candle is more than a pretty decoration. In Ireland, there is a much-loved tradition of placing a lit candle in the front window on Christmas Eve.
The custom carries several meanings. The best known is religious: the light welcomes Mary and Joseph, who, according to the Gospel story, found no room at the inn. Each home that lit a candle was saying its door was open to them.
It is also seen as a sign of hospitality to any traveler passing on a cold night and a way to remember loved ones far away. Irish emigrants carried the custom with them, which is one reason window candles are such a familiar sight in American homes during the holidays.
Traditionally, the youngest member of the family lights the candle. Electric candles are common now for safety, but the spirit is the same. It fits right in with the cozy look: soft light, a warm drink and snow just beyond the glass. Some families keep a candle glowing in the window throughout the season, from the start of Advent until Epiphany in January. It is a quiet way to say that everyone is welcome.
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