Christmas Shop: Christmas Tree Candles and Clip-On Candle Holders Create Holiday Buzz This Year

Christmas tree candles, candle clips and metal candle holders are creating more buzz this holiday season than they have since electric Christmas lights captured the market after World War I.

Christmas Shop: Christmas Tree Candles and Clip-On Candle Holders Create Holiday Buzz This Year

Christmas Shop: Christmas Tree Candles and Clip-On Candle Holders Create Holiday Buzz This Year

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Christmas Shop: Christmas Tree Candles and Clip-On Candle Holders Create Holiday Buzz This Year

Christmas Shop: Christmas Tree Candles and Clip-On Candle Holders Create Holiday Buzz This Year

It's the ultimate proof that a product that has been extinct for nearly ninety years can make a comeback.

For at least some shoppers, using real candles on the tree is push-back against high-tech seasonal glitz and glam and a way to simplify and slow down the holidays. For others, Christmas candles are an elegant, aesthetic alternative to the soulless, homogenized tree lights and other decorations that flood store shelves every holiday season, courtesy of the "Christmas-Industrial Complex."

Are you making granola for friends and family, wrapping presents in recycled gift wrap and planning to roast a free-range turkey for December 25th? Then Christmas candles are your kind of tree lighting. They're even greener than LED lights, since they use no electricity.

Do you like a touch of elegance and surprise in your holidays? Do you entertain with panache, like to create moods with lighting and wow your guests? Then tree candles should be on your must-have list.

Are you a gadget geek? Do you appreciate ingenious, well-put-together products that deliver what they say they will deliver and delight the eye? Then Christmas candle clips and pendulum candle holders are going to be your best new-old find.

Do you still use your grandmother's stuffing recipe and your great-aunt's Christmas tree ornaMents? Do you like the idea of reviving old traditions and passing them on? Then Christmas tree candles and vinTAGe candle holders are for you.

Whatever your reason, if you're the kind of person who is drawn to the idea of decking out your tree with natural candles, by definition, you march to the beat of a different drummer.

Whether you go with candlepower this year for design and decorating reasons, because you like new-old and innovative finds, because it's eco-friendly and simple, or because you want to experience Christmas like your great-grandparents did, remember that clip-on Christmas tree candle holders, candle clips, old-fashioned pendulum candle holders and the candles themselves have been teetering on the edge of oblivion for decades. They're not easy to find locally. They long ago vanished from hardware stores. Even specialty candle shops and gift stores don't stock them. You won't find them anywhere at the local mall.

If you are going to find genuine Christmas tree candle holders, pendulum holders and candles anywhere, you'll discover that the best place to look is online. Find a reputable, experienced web shop and satisfy yourself that the tree candles, pendulum holders and candle are imported from Germany. Germans have been making Christmas tree candle holders and candles for years and they make the best. Nothing against imports from other countries, but you can't count on the quality being as good. Why go with a cheaper import when you can get the real thing? It probably wouldn't occur to you to buy a Buddha figure imported from Germany. Why buy classic clip-on candle holders and traditional Christmas candles from China?

You will want to look at the options and decide which product you like best. There are several choices when it comes to the holders. The candles are made expressly to fit the candle holders. They are usually available in red and white. Don't substitute another kind of candle. The candle must fit firmly and snugly in the base. If it does not, it can fall out of the holder onto the tree. Dining candles are too long. Party candles and birthday candles are too little to be used on a tree. Votive candles are too big. Don't tempt fate. Buy genuine German-made tree candles so you can enjoy your tree with peace of mind.

Adorning your tree with candles instead of electric lighting will satisfy your ethical and aesthetic impulses: It's green and conscientious. It's absolutely elegant from an aesthetic and holiday decorating standpoint. It's both innovative and traditional. And it's stop-in-your tracks beautiful. Your Christmas tree will never look more appealing and Christmas will never be more unforgettable.

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Christmas Shop: Christmas Tree Candles and Clip-On Candle Holders Create Holiday Buzz This Year