Does anyone else have REAL candles on their tree?

[funnypeculiar]

or am I some kind of luddite/genetic throwback??

Or, ideed, both.

You obviously haven't met my children.

NO!

is it possible to get them? I would have thought they have been forbidden by fire and safety regulations.

my parents used to, but don't any more.
it really is a bit of a fire hazard unless you're very careful

Pish tush to your fire regulations - you just sit and watch the tree when the candles are lit... but it looks sooooo lovely, you want to.

Plus you get to watch people's reactions 'you don't mean REAL candles do you, you mean those electric candles??'

Cue many amusing christmas fire-men jokes...

If God had wanted us to have real candles, he wouldn't have allowed us to discover how to use electricity for household power.

i suppose a real tree is quite hard to set on fire isn't it, they don't burn that well

How often do you need to replace the candles? or do you just use them on Christmas day?

and the big mistery I have beem wodering about since I was a child, how do you keep them so straight that the wax falls in the little "plate" at their base?

the main reason i don't have them is because I would either

a) get drunk, forget about them and they'd burn my house down

b) get drunk, fall onto them and set myself on fire

c) just get drunk.

what do you use to hold the candles???

they have little holders with clips on that you just clip to the branches

that sounds gorgeous. from where can i purchase these please?

One set of candles lasts all over christmas (we do ONLY light the tree when we want to sit quietly and look at it) ... then you burn the candles down on 6th Jan - and bet on which candle burns out last - my mum has a party every year & serious money changes hands!!

And yes, getting them straight is a faff - but secret is to choose good sturdy tree with st out branches - and candle holders that can be adjusted iykwim

God, someone else out there must do this too???

yes, sitting quietly. that never happens in my house lol

Thanks

candle holder thingys

lol hairy maclary. Had no idea dogs were so alcoholically inclined. I do also position tree where you don't need to walk past it...

My ds was only 1 1/2 last christmas. Slightly more nervous this year - last year he was fine...

how exciitng. and romantic. ta.

absolutely love the idea of sitting quielty watching anything at christmas... in a thats-not-likely-to-happen-round-my-way-for-the-next-20-years-or-so sort of way

A ha! Been looking for a place to sell those candle holders and candles for years. Thanks for the link. My MIL does proper candles on the tree every year, and we have a friendly bet on the 6th. Her mother is German, and the holders are very old. It has been increasingly difficult to find candles to fit the holders.
It is absolutely lovely to see, and the burning thing hasn't been an issue, even with small dc because they are warned copiously. Also, when they are lit, that is what we do, sit and watch them and have a quiet chat - that is it and nothing more. We don't have them on for long, and never leave the room with them burning. It really is rather magical. She also has 'proper' lead tinsel that has to be draped tinsel by tinsel from each branch!

You know, I'm sure they sell the little candles in IKEA. Can't swear to it, though

Sounds really pretty but don't think I would relax for a minute.

You can get lookalike ones from Lakeland

Massive firehazard, surely ?

Ah, see, my father was a firefighter. It sounds lovely, but I couldn't even vaguely begin to contemplate such an idea.

Seriously, come on, the fire deaths rate is going down, and yeah, fire halls are being closed, but do we really have to do our bit to improve their employment by burning ourselves up at Xmas?