Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-12-21

~ VERY year the Little green Day
berry candles are sent as luck
IL bringing gifts to an even
greater extent than during
the past few holiday seasons. The rea
son for this Is that the people who 10
ceived them the past year or two-and
who did not?-thouGht that they really
did seem to bring them good fortune;
hence this increasingly rapid growth OF
the candies popularity as q substitute
for the conventional Christmas card
or as constituting In itself an unpre-
tenhous little gift symbolizing every
good wish.
But, while a great many people both
send and receive bayberry candles as
gifts, there are but few who know
whence they come or why the luck 81.
perstition Is inseparable from them.
The candles, or dips" as they were
first called, are the product Of q re-
vived industry started a few years ago
in the old Massachusetts towns OF Deer
field and bingham and In the kitchens
Of the Cape Cod people, all OF them
using the old pewter or tin molds that
have descended In the families from
colonial times. Old southern villages
have not as yet realized the opportuni-
ty offered It's women In this revived In
dustry, although the bayberry candles
were made by the early settlers in all
the coast colonies where the berries
grew, never being found inland.
AS to the origin Of the good luck
idea, we seek 1t In vain among colonial
chronicles rs applied to the candle
itself. Yet from times far earlier the
bay tree and the laurel were consider
ed sacred to good fortune, and It II
from this immemorial belief that We
must trace the present day faith In the
virtues Of the bayberry candle.
The bay is a species Of laurel. and ss
poets and victors were crowned with
the laurel or the bay. wishing them long
life and happiness, 80 is the same Wish
conveyed In the bestowal OF candle
made Of the waxen berries borne oy
the sacred tree.
Bayberry dips are also made as well
as the nodded candles. These dips are
smaller and less even in shape and
show us how candles were made BY re-
peatedly dipping the wicks in the melt
ed wax Of the bayberries and drying
each layer till the dip was OF proper
size. That was before molds were In.
troduced, early In the eighteenth cen
tury.
To accompany a bayberry candle one
should send In the little box In which
It Is daintily wrapped card on which
Is printed, In red and green lettering.
the legend:
ON CHRISTMAS EVE.
A bayberry candle burnt to the sooS2
Brings luck to the house,
Food 10 the larder
And gold to the pocket.
When these cards are not to be found
the luck rime may be written on the
back of ones visiting card and wrap
ped with a candle, but in that case Il
must not be forgotten that the In.
closure Of writing necessitatss extra
postage.
Their color, a soft olive green, blends
beautifully with other Christmas
decorations, and they burn with Q
steady flame. emitting a delightfully."-
pungent fragrance, and they are con-
,umed evenly all around without max.
Ing unsighIy cutters or ridges Of wax
down the sides as ordinary candles DO.
From New England comes the tradi-
don that II lovers separated by Dis
lance each lights a bayberry candle In
honor Of the other at the same hous
the aroma or incense arising from The
burning wick will drift In the direc-
ton Of the absent one; hence The
randles make strong appeal TO young
people Of romantic temperament.
A candle must be presented to you,
not bought by yourself. in order to In.
sure good luck, and you must not Light
Iour own; that must be done for you
" some other person, not necessarily
the donor.
Christmas eve Is the tme for burn
Ing, either at dinner or later. and b
follow out the old idea Of the laursla
and the bays to the victor q candle
should surely be bestowed on the Rsla.
i've or friend who has recently
achieved some success or won q -
Observation-Disclosures Press.
Three vitriols.
The "three yitriols" are green vtt1to