At this time of year, our wishes boil down to a simple few: health, happiness, and prosperity for our friends, our families, and ourselves. In Colonial New England, life was infinitely more difficult, yet folklore tells us that the Colonists believed lighting a bayberry candle on Christmas Eve would presage their simple wishes, "A bayberry candle burnt to the socket brings food to the larder and gold to the pocket."
Those hearty Colonists helped to create one of the most prosperous countries on the planet, so I think we all might want to burn a Bayberry Candle this Christmas, and maybe even on New Years Eve!
You still aren't sold? Well, here's the story of Cape Cod's very own, Mabel Baker. One hundred years ago, Mabel, a Hyannis teacher, decided to try her hand at making her own bayberry candles to give out to friends for the holidays. She reintroduced the legend,
"To bring good luck for a year, you must burn a bayberry candle on Christmas day. If the flame burns bright and the light shines clear, then heaven will bless you for all the year."
Mabel went on to create and build America's largest candle company, Colonial Candle.
While we can't guarantee you'll make any Forbes' lists next year, it certainly can't hurt to burn a Colonial Candle Bayberry Taper this Christmas Eve. Start your own tradition, share the secret with your friends, and give them their own set of Bayberry Candles this holiday season!
Merry Christmas and Best Wishes,
Joe & Colleen
Today, give thanks to the New England chef who momentarily lost his head and added chocolate to a bowl of biscuits he was making. Our favorite brownies don't come from a box and they couldn't be easier to make: 