Can you reuse votive candles?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Leevo
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I guess it depends on where the candles are. If they are in a church then I would think it would be based on local customs and fire codes. Around here they are generally left to burn until they are used up. When the same type candles are used at home for private devotions they are generally reused. I’ve never timed how long they burn if continuously lite, but I would suspect the burn in excess of 24 hours depending on the type of wax used.
 
Leevo said:
Particularly the tall ones that you get at the grocery stores? Do you usually reuse them or let them burn until they’re finished?

Like these: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Votive_candle#/media/File:Votive_candles_at_a_roadside_grotto_in_north_Texas.jpg
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I would make sure that the holder that the candle is in is made for re-use, with the ones that you are using for home. The holders can get really hot, so you would want to make sure that the glass wouldn’t break or crack upon re-use. 🙂
 
I no longer buy the tall candles as they don’t seem to burn well. But daughter gave us a short Sacred Heart candle that burned well. We keep putting new candles in it - it’s lovely.
 
One hardly ever sees real wax voltive candles in a church anymore because they are a fire hazard, but when you do, and they burn down, the left over wax is collected and sent a monastery to be reclaimed. Or so I have been told years ago.

I save the wax from mine and repurpose it into another candle and it isn’t hard to do.
 
oldgraymare2 said:
I would make sure that the holder that the candle is in is made for re-use, with the ones that you are using for home. The holders can get really hot, so you would want to make sure that the glass wouldn’t break or crack upon re-use. 🙂
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I think I worded myself poorly. I meant, is it okay to blow out and relight the candle at a later time? Not the actual candle holder, my apologies.
 
Leevo said:
I think I worded myself poorly. I meant, is it okay to blow out and relight the candle at a later time? Not the actual candle holder, my apologies.
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I’m not sure if oldgraymare2 was talking about some tall glass votives have fairly thin glass. The repetitive heating and cooling could cause thermal stresses that lead to fractures in the glass. I’ve never seen it, but I could see it happening if the candle was fairly cheaply made.

(Apologies, oldgraymare2, if I misunderstood what you meant)
 
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