Photo Essay: 5 Candles My Parents Won't Let Me Light (With Reasons)

We're all looking for a little bit of light in this dark chapter of world history. Unfortunately, though, being in close quarters with our loved ones means compromising is more important than ever. Here are five candles in my quarantined childhood home that my parents wouldn't want me to light.

This candle lives on the kitchen counter. My mom likes it because it smells good, but my dad hates the smell of candles, so we can only light it when we have company. Obviously, it likely won't be lit for the duration of this quarantine. My dog threw up in the kitchen area today, though, so maybe I can convince him to light it, because it smells like vomit in here.

This candle is a gift from my ex. It has three wicks, and it's a ~Voluspa~, so it's about six times as fragrant as the average candle. Clearly a no-no.

This is a pillar candle that goes with the living room decor my parents have come to hate over the years. Truly lighting it would be prohibited because this candle has a dirty trick up its sleeve: there's a tealight inside it that is replaced after every holiday so that we never use the actual candle. Like me during this quarantine, it remains relatively unchanged on the outside but has nothing real going on within. 

We received these fancy beeswax Shabbat candles about 4,000 years ago, but are saving them for "a special occasion." Isn't every Shabbat supposed to be a meaningful cause for celebration?

Honestly, I don't even want to light this candle, but it's making the list because nobody in my entire extended family has turned 40 in a long time, and nobody will for over 10 years. I don't know why we still have them. I assume we're saving them "just in case."