We can be so fortunate in these two little islands. Three of the world's great religions, Hinduism, Islam and Christianity, live here, side by side, in almost perfect harmony. And we, its people, share and participate in each major religious festival of light, Divali, Eid and Christmas.Some years ago, one soft Divali evening, I remember walking with other happy, friendly people, through flaming, smoky deyas on the pavement in front of the Roxy roundabout and revelling in the smell of burnt coconut oil and the feeling that I was in a faerie world of good cheer and mystic enchantment. Of late we do the same but in Barrackpore.Almost every year at Eid, we drive down to friends in Preysal and enjoy the light of their home, their kindness, their food, their company without ever making a big deal of it. It's simply part of life in T&T.
What is it about lighting a candle or deya that strikes a pensive mood in just about everyone? Maybe it's that the act can't be hurried, making it a near novelty in our push-rush culture. Because it takes time and studied intent to strike a flame, hold that flame to a candlewick, and wait for light; the act feels purposeful. And that makes it a natural host for symbolic meaning.In many different traditions, lighting candles is a sacred action. It expresses more than words can ever do. It has to do with gratefulness and harmony. From time immemorial, people have lit candles in sacred places to dispel darkness and brighten their life. There is something warm and peaceful about candlelight that brings out feelings of fellowship and comradeship.Quite unlike the whiz and bang of another lighting up: fireworks, which if properly done can be enthralling but which today has become simply another reason to get drunk.
Newer seasonal holidays, such as the Afro-American holiday Kwanza, rely on the ritual of candle lighting to convey their message. Each of the seven candles in a Kwanza kinara represents a different ethic or principle. Each day's lighting is illuminated with love and purpose.One reason candle lighting crosses religious and cultural barriers is its timelessness. Switching on electric lights hardly connects us to our darkened past. But going through the much older ritual of lighting candles links us to our ancestors.Candles have been associated with human emotions for so long that any number of myths associated with candlelight have sprung up.One of the loveliest refers to Christmas. It is considered ill-omened to leave a candle burning in an empty room for a long time. The only exception is the Christmas candle which should be left to burn all through the night of Christmas Eve to light the way for the Holy Family and also to ensure light, warmth and plenty in the coming year.
On the other hand, to snuff out a candle by accident is a sign of a wedding; and no candle should ever be allowed to burn down to the socket of the candlestick. It should be blown out before that. Otherwise misfortune may come to someone in the house.Misfortunes also happen by accident. Burning candles, particularly scented and slow-burning ones, can be hazardous to your health.Toxic emissions from candles can include lead and mercury as well as volatile organic compounds such as benzene and acetone. Candles are becoming one of the most common unrecognised causes of poor indoor air quality.Slow-burning, scented, and aromatic candles produce a large amount of soot or black carbon that can damage a home and its contents.There is evidence that candle emissions can harm the central nervous, cardiovascular, and blood systems when dangerous levels of lead are inhaled by people, especially children, the elderly, or anyone with a weakened immune system.
Candles made in China contain the highest levels of lead. Those designed to burn longer or produce scents often have wicks with metallic cores made of pure lead or lead alloy.The lead particles emitted are small in size and float through the air for long periods of time, landing on couches, carpets, and other household items, where they may be touched and ingested by children, young and old.How many Trini children have been burned to death by lighted candles this past year? And how many more will die in poorly lit houses next year?Still, this is a time of good spirits and good cheer. Let us not think of sad things, from a sad land.Lighting candles at any time is a sure way to put us in a good mood, to cast any event in a more intriguing light. But during the holiday season, candlelight captivates us even more. It kindles a mood of love and spirituality, and it is steeped in traditions we hand down to our children, who will pass the flame on to future generations.Without that tradition, without that flame and without the love of those children, we are surely lost.If light be time, standing still, is candlelight love's light, expressed as will?