candlestick, candlestick, candelero

Candles and candlesticks are found in Mexico in most different private and public milieus. Candles are lit in everyday life, at important events and of course in religious contexts, not the least during the many Catholic celebrations, fiestas. The Mexican candlesticks can be both high quality arts and crafts. Sometimes they are more ordinary but at the same time pleasurable to look at. Candles with wick did not exist during the Precolumbian period, these came instead with the Spanish Conquest in the 1500s. Up till the end of 1700s the dark brown wax from the endemic stingless bees were used. Afterwards the wax from the European honey bee was increasingly used – nowadays it is not so common with candles made of wax from the stingless bees. (Brunius 2013)