Does anyone else have REAL candles on their tree?

[funnypeculiar]

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

Or, ideed, both.

funnypeculiar, are you German by any chance?

We have real candles on the tree too -- doesn't feel right with only electric lights. The trick is, as others have said, to choose a tree with thick straight branches. And to be very careful there isn't a branch just above where you've sited the candles. Also, if (like us) you only put the tree up just before christmas, then it doesn't have the chance to dry out, so isn't as much of a fire hazard.

I have some lovely old holders I inherited from my German granny, which hook over the branch with little brass rods that hand down below the candle, ending in a little brass ball to weigh it all down, thus keeping the candles upright. And, obviously, we only light the tree when we're actually all sitting round it.

Goodness no. DH would freak out about the fire hazard. Sometimes when I'm cooking on the stove (hob?) if I walk out of the kitchen for 30 seconds while the frying pan heats up I return to find the flame has been turned off. DH does this because it's a fire hazard to leave the room with a flame on. So, no doubt, he'd probably whilr the tree out the window if he found a flame on it.

We have a plastic tree and I really don't fancy spending Christmas trying to get the smell of burnt plastic out of my nostril hair

Used to work for a German family who did this. Very beautiful.

they have them here in Switzerland too. Been tempted but not brave enough, plus we have a new kitted this year and I ain't taking any chances, sh's gonna go wild at the tree. Little minx that she is.

I imagine they look wonderful but as a firefighters wife I'd say there's no chance. Even the Halloween pumpkin is at risk of being drowned if he gets too bright!

If you must do it please be careful. Candles are bad enough but mix them with a tree, tinsel, kids and maybe too much booze and it's a disaster waiting to happen.

If you get e tree with branches that stick up a bit you can weight them down with lovely red shiny apples, hanging from cotton threads. Also hang chocolates from tree- Elizabeth Shaw mint crisps with a hole bored through them (hot skewer!)The smell!!! Candles, tree, apples and chocolate!!!!