Why Do Amish Put Candles In Windows?

The Amish are a traditionalist Christian group known for living simple, agrarian lifestyles and shunning modern technology. Originating in 16th century Europe, the Amish settled in Pennsylvania in the early 18th century. Today, most Amish live in rural communities across North America, adhering to traditional customs and attire. Family, faith, and community are central pillars of Amish life. Their tight-knit communities foster unity through shared values, cooperation, and mutual aid. The Amish way of life minimizes material possessions and focuses on faith, humility, and simplicity.

Candles play an important role in Amish homes. With their aversion to electricity, candles provide necessary lighting. The candle’s glow offers a romantic ambiance and warmth to Amish households. But the candle is more than just a practical tool – it carries religious, social, and cultural symbolism.

Meaning of Candles

Candles hold deep symbolic meaning in Amish culture. The flame of a candle represents the light of God, so lighting candles serves as an expression of spirituality. Candles also symbolize warmth, home, and hearth. The Amish view the home as sacred, so candles bring the comforts of home into other spaces. Burning candles signifies creating an atmosphere of rest, reflection, and joy. The soft glow casts a peaceful ambiance conducive to prayer and meditation. Amish choose candles in their signature colors of blue, purple, and green as reminders of their heritage and identity. The candles’ pure wax, often made from beeswax, represents purity. For the Amish, the meaning behind placing candles in windows goes far beyond mere decoration or illumination.

Practical Purposes

The Amish lifestyle eschews most modern conveniences, including electricity. Without electric lights, candles serve the simple yet crucial function of illumination after sunset. Candles enable families to continue going about their evening routines. Children can do homework or read by candlelight. Adults can engage in craftwork, cooking, cleaning, and socializing throughout the house. The soft glow extends daytime activities into the night.

Candles are an inexpensive and renewable lighting source for the Amish. Making candles is a common skill, using rendered animal fat, beeswax, or paraffin wax. Many Amish homes have candle-making equipment to produce their own supply. Frugality and self-sufficiency are core values in Amish culture. Candles allow them to meet practical needs for lighting while staying true to their way of life.

Celebrate Special Events

Candles play an important role in Amish life during holidays and celebrations. They use candles to mark special events like birthdays, weddings, and religious holidays. Candles hold deep meaning during these meaningful times.

On Christmas, Amish light candles on their fresh-cut Christmas trees and around their homes. The candles represent Jesus Christ as the light of the world. The soft glow creates a peaceful ambiance for families to gather and celebrate Christ’s birth.

For weddings, the bride and groom light a unity candle together to symbolize the joining of their lives. Candles adorn the wedding feast tables to create a festive atmosphere. The warm candlelight sets a romantic mood for the special occasion.

On birthdays, placing a candle in the window signals that a birthday is being celebrated in the home. The community knows to stop by and wish the person a happy birthday. The solitary flame burns as a testament to another year of life.

So during holidays and celebrations, candles shine brightly in Amish homes. The flames commemorate meaningful events and bring families and communities together.

Welcome Guests

One of the most common reasons Amish families place candles in their windows is to welcome and invite guests into their home. The warm, flickering glow of a candle sends a clear message of hospitality to any passerby or visitor approaching the home after dark. It signals that the residents are receiving company and that the door is open.

Candles serve as a friendly beacon in the darkness, guiding visitors to the home. They create a welcoming atmosphere and environment, letting visitors know they will be greeted amicably if they choose to stop by. The soft lighting sets a positive tone and puts newcomers at ease as they arrive.

In a culture that deeply values community, family ties, and hospitality, the candle burning in the window is an open invitation. It embodies the spirit of warmth and fellowship that the Amish aim to extend to their neighbors and visitors. The candle flame represents the light of friendship and goodwill that they wish to share with others.

Religious Significance

The Amish place great importance on their relationship with God and see candles as having symbolic meaning related to prayer and spirituality. The soft glow of a lit candle signifies the presence of the divine and a reminder to focus one’s thoughts on God. Placing a candle in the window is like setting out a spiritual beacon, representing the light of the Lord in the home. The Amish believe that the light of the candle summons God’s providence and serves as a form of silent prayer. Just as the Shabbat candles lit by those of the Jewish faith welcome the Sabbath, the Amish light candles to invite God into their homes and lives. The flickering flame represents hopes and prayers rising to heaven. In this way, a candle in the window is a statement of Amish faith, reflecting core values of humility, simplicity and devotion to God.

Community Ties

The Amish are a close-knit community that relies on their neighbors for support and fellowship. Placing candles in windows helps spread light to the entire community, serving as a symbolic invitation for people to gather together. When candles glow in the windows at night, it signals that a family is home and neighbors are welcome to visit.

The soft candlelight creates a warm, welcoming atmosphere that brings the community together. Neighbors may stop by unannounced, knowing that the glowing candles mean they’ll find friendly company inside. The Amish often rely on this open-door tradition, visiting each other’s homes regularly to chat, share meals, and enjoy one another’s company.

In this way, the simple act of putting a candle in the window strengthens the social bonds of the Amish community. The candles promote a spirit of openness, connection, and hospitality across the neighborhood. Instead of each home being an isolated island, the candles link families together into a close-knit community that supports and uplifts one another.

Romantic Symbolism

In Amish courtship and marriage traditions, candles hold special meaning. An Amish woman will place a candle in the window of her home to signal to her betrothed that she is expecting him for a visit. The candle is kept burning in the window for as long as the couple is courting.

Once they become engaged, the woman moves the candle to the mantel over the fireplace. Keeping the candle lit on the mantel represents the woman’s commitment to her future husband and the upcoming marriage.

Finally, on the wedding day, the candle is blown out at the end of the reception to symbolize the completion of their courtship. The couple will use that same candle to light the candles at each anniversary celebration over the course of their marriage.

So for Amish couples, the placement and use of candles carries deep meaning about their relationship status and commitment to one another.

Regional Differences

The use of candles in windows varies across Amish communities and settlements. Some notable regional differences include:

In the largest Amish settlement in Holmes County, Ohio, it’s common to see candles glowing in the windows on Saturday nights. This serves as a welcoming symbol for church guests who arrive on Sundays.

In Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, one of the oldest Amish settlements, candlelight is reserved for special occasions like holidays and birthdays. Everyday use is less common.

In newer or smaller Amish communities in states like Colorado or Maine, candle customs are still developing and have not yet become set traditions.

In highly traditional Swartzentruber Amish households, candlelight is used minimally due to restrictions on modern conveniences. Battery-powered LED lights are sometimes used instead.

Within districts of the same settlement, candle practices can vary house to house depending on familial and cultural norms.

Conclusion

There are many excellent reasons why Amish put candles in windows, both practical and symbolic. The candles serve important purposes like providing light, celebrating events, welcoming guests, and showing religious devotion. But the candles also represent meaning within the Amish community – bringing people together, creating beauty, and expressing romance or remembrance. Whether used nightly or only on special occasions, the candle’s warm glow reflects the Amish values of faith, family, simplicity and community.

In summary, candles in Amish windows connect deeply to Amish culture. The tradition highlights the purposeful and spiritual Amish lifestyle, as well as their emphasis on community ties. The custom spans practical needs, religious rituals, romantic gestures and aesthetic beauty. For the Amish, a candle in the window has profound significance, far beyond just decoration.