A candlestick, chamberstick, or candelabrum (plural: candelabra) is
a holder for one or more candles, used for illumination, rituals, or
decorative purposes. The name derives from the fact that they are
usually tall and stick-shaped. Candlesticks are also called candle
holders. However, not all candle holders are candlesticks unless
they are tall and stick-like. Candlesticks are quite often and quite
erroneously called candlestick holders by those who think that the
candles themselves are the candlesticks.
Although
electric lighting has phased out candles, candlesticks and
candelabra are still used in modern homes as a decorative element or
to add atmosphere on special occasions. Before the invention of
electricity, candles were brought into the bedroom using
chambersticks, which were shorter than ordinary candleholders and
furnished with a wide pan to catch the wax drippings.
Candles and candlesticks are also used frequently in religious
rituals and for spiritual means. In Jewish homes, two candles are
lit to mark the beginning of the Sabbath on Friday night. Hence,
candlesticks are often on display. A seven-branched candelabrum,
known as the Menorah, is the national symbol of the State of Israel,
based on the candelabrum that was used in the Temple in Jerusalem in
ancient times. Another special candelabrum found in many Jewish
homes is the Hanukiah, the Hanukkah menorah. The hanukiah has
holders for 8 candles, plus an extra candle for lighting the others.
In popular culture, candlesticks are featured in the nursery rhyme
Jack Be Nimble; as the character Lumiere in Disney's Beauty and the
Beast; and in the game Cluedo (also known as "Clue" in North
America). Many of Liberace's piano performances included a
candelabrum on top of the grand piano. In the movie Bull Durham the
assistant coach Larry (played by Robert Wuhl) suggests candlesticks
as a wedding present during a crisis meeting held at the pitcher's
mound in the middle of a game. In Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, they
are shown as keys required to enter into the Labyrinth of Amala.
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