In England, a great candle once took the place of the favorite Yule Log. It was believed that if a candled did not burn throughout the entire day of Christmas, ill fortune would plague the family of the house for an entire year!

In Denmark, two great candles are lit to symbolize both the husband and wife of the home. Which ever burns out first would indicate who would be the first to die.

In Scandinavian countries, candles are left on the graves of ancestors, which may have stemmed from the original Viking belief that the dead return to haunt the living during winter solstice.

Candles also feature prominently in St. Lucia's Day (December 13th). During the days when Christians were persecuted, Lucia would deliver food to fellow Christians hiding in tunnels. To light the way, she wore a crown of candles. The candles represented hope, an uplifting message during the long winter nights of the north.

Likewise, the colors of candles have roots in old traditions, in this case, Celtic. While red, white and green are used as universal Christmas colors, here are the meanings the ancient Celts attached to different candle colors:

White - Spiritual Strength
Pink - Love, Morality, and Friendship
Red - Passionate Love, Good Health, and Strength
Orange - Encouragement, Concentration
Yellow - Attraction, Persuasion
Green - Money, Success, Luck
Purple - Ambition, Power
Black - Sadness, Loss
With Advent candles, it is not so much the colors of the candles that have unique meanings, but the week they are lit. Advent starts the fourth Sunday before Christmas, culminating on Christmas Day. A candle is lit each week, with a special meaning attributed to that particular week:

Week One : Hope (purple candle)
Week Two : Love (purple candle)
Week Three : Joy (purple candle)
Week Four : Peace (pink candle)
Christmas Day : Jesus' birth (white candle)

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