Q Post 3987 and some INTERESTING Traditions of Candles in a window. I'm not sure why Q has the Candles in the Window post. It is VERY PRETTY and may have something to do with Paul Revere, but there is INTERESTING info on the TRADITIONS of Candles in windows, SCRIPTURES too. Whatever the reason Q posted those candles I learned some fun stuff. TWO LANTERNS In APRIL1775, Paul Revere told three Boston patriots to hang TWO LANTERNS in the steeple. SOME SCRIPTURES MATTHEW 5:15 King James Version (KJV) 15 Neither do men light a CANDLE, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it GIVETH LIGHT unto all that are in the house. LUKE 8:16 New International Version (NIV) A LAMP ON A STAND 16 “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. LUKE 11:36 New International Version (NIV) 36 Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.” "THERE IS NOT ENOUGH DARKNESS IN ALL THE WORLD TO PUT OUT THE LIGHT OF EVEN ONE SMALL CANDLE" – Robert Alden "Placing a burning candle in one's window is a common tradition that dates back to COLONIAL TIMES. Candle light often evokes the warmth of home and family. The fireplace was center of family life in days gone by, and thus the candle was generally lit from that fire.    Home Fires Burning Homeward bound travelers in COLONIAL AMERICA might be greeted with the sight of a candle burning in the front window. The welcome was part SILENT PRAYER for the safe return of the absent person and a sign that there was someone waiting and tending the fire. A candle might send a message out into the night -- that a child had been born or a family had received a windfall or blessing. During celebrations, the candle expressed respect for public figures or special commemorations. Bed and breakfast hosts lit a candle in the window to light the way to their door and announce there were available beds. The general sense of welcome symbolized by the candle helped the practice to spread to inns and homes at any time of year. The candle was often placed in the window when a member of the family was away. The lit candle was also placed in the window as a sign of good news or as a beacon to weary travelers. Candles also represented friendship and were seen as a sign of welcome to others.  In early America, homes were often miles apart. The sight of a candle in a window from a distance was a sign of "welcome" to those wishing to visit. Many people today only associate candles in the window as a Christmas tradition. Yet, look around your community at night, and you will see electric candles placed in the windows of more and more homes during all seasons of the year." https://www.theclassroom.com/what-is-the-meaning-of-candles-in-the-window-13411114.html Lighting the Candle Started as an Irish Tradition The candle in the window during Christmas time can be traced back to the Irish.  From 1691-1778, the British Government created many brutally oppressive laws targeting Catholics in an attempt to squash the religion, and force the Irish to obey British Rule.  These laws were know as the Penal Laws.  Priests were not allowed to practice their faith and were ordered to leave the country, so they went into hiding.  During Christmastime, Irish Catholics would light a candle in the window and leave the door unlocked, allowing priests to slip into their home safely to say Mass.  When the British questioned the Irish about the candles, they said that it was a way to welcome Joseph, Mary, and the Baby Jesus during Christmas time.  Over time, the tradition changed slightly to become a beacon of hope for any passerby during the season.  The lit candle signaled to strangers that there would be food and shelter in that home should they choose to ask.  It also became a hope that Mary and other saints would pass by their home and bless it.  As many immigrants came to America, they brought the tradition with them.   https://wasatchshutter.com/the-history-of-the-candle-in-the-window/