Pop Culture, Religion, Socio-economic Class and the Significance of Candles in Nigeria
A large number of resident Nigerian millennials grew up having candle-lit dinners with family but the ambience wasn’t one that bore the slightest semblance to a cozy-lit dinner at a posh restaurant. Odds were it was stifling hot and the air abuzz with mosquitoes; with eyes strained, homework was done under the same conditions dinner had been eaten.
Candles and candle light evoke quite different sentiments (based on their usages) in varying contexts such as that of developed and developing countries. In third world countries such as Nigeria, before generators became quite ubiquitous, candles were objects of necessity as a source of light in the rather frequent events of power outage. They were cheap and readily sold in small kiosks. Using melting wax, they were ‘glued’ to flat surfaces and objects such as old milk tins but care had to be taken for carelessly placed candles could melt objects they were placed on and start fires. Paraffin lanterns were also commonly used but posed serious health and safety hazards for instance child poisoning, respiratory complications and cardiovascular diseases in addition to causing burns and fire outbreaks.
While the western world shares a similar history of utilizing candles for the aforementioned purpose, the rapid expansion of electrical technology ushered in steady power supply thereby rendering candles obsolete in their primary utilitarian function. Be it in a bathroom or bedside table burning, on a birthday cake, strategically ‘littered’ on the floor in the form of tealights at a romantic dinner, being sent up in the air as sky lanterns or floating away as water lamps, candles continue to symbolize festivities, romance and self-care all the while soothing the senses.
With social media platforms such as Tik Tok and Instagram doubling as social commerce sites, trendy sculptural candles in the form of curvaceous feminine silhouettes, bubbles,twisted wax tapers and a plethora of quirky forms went viral and sales skyrocketed thus cementing candles as must-have decor items in the wake of the pandemic. The spike in the rise of many other lifestyle trends like the adoption of pets, switching to cozier pieces of furniture namely settees and buying plants to liven up spaces served as a sort of reprieve from the critical state of affairs the world was plunged into. With many quarantining at home and thus spending much longer hours indoors than they ideally would have, revamping of homes itself became a trend.
Although perfumes were not in as much use, it didn’t stop many from indulging their olfactory senses. Scented candles, incense, diffusers and home fragrances to name a few not only sated the senses, but also served as a form of therapy. Local Nigerian chandleries naturally responded to the trend by expanding their range of products to cater to the burgeoning demand for aromatherapy products with some going as far as hosting virtual workshops on candle making. Where candle wax was once derived from tallows — used extensively in Europe and the Americas, beeswax in Egypt and China, extracts from tree nuts in early Japan, boiled cinnamon fruits in India and purified animal fat to name but a few, its evolution has seen the forenamed replaced by vegetable-based waxes such as soy, palm, coconut and even rapeseed wax.
In developing countries with clearly demarcated social classes as Nigeria, the consumption of lifestyle products like candles can be a good indicator of one's financial flexibility, scale of preference, taste and exposure in addition to being a determining factor of where one shops. While the masses are preoccupied and perturbed by existential issues such as day to day survival in a failing economy, the purchase of candles for reasons other than illumination could appear outlandish and extravagant not to mention superstitious. It’s important to note that this reaction may be typical of those who simply lack the exposure to the experience which light therapy and aromatherapy yields and may not necessarily be an issue of financial constraint. With the middle and upperclass, but not entirely exclusive to them, candle burning, scented or unscented is experiential. The warm, soft flickering of candlelight has the ability to make one happier, soothe nerves, and create a cozy ambience that eases the feeling of stress and anxiety - an experience that is indiscriminatory of one's socio-economic status. However, one can expect a difference in the caliber of candles and aromatherapy products consumed by people belonging to the various social strata.
Several centuries after their noted use of the undermentioned, candles still hold spiritual relevance in various religious sects. In many Hindu homes, candles and oil lamps are lit daily before an altar at specific times such as dawn and dusk. This light is symbolic of hope, enlightenment and prosperity while in Judaism, candles are lit prior to major Jewish holidays such as the Passover and as a memorial for deceased loved ones. Candle light is symbolic of God’s divine presence and on occasions such as the Shabbat and Chanukah, the lighting of candles is a reminder that such celebrations are sacred. In Nigeria, white garment churches are perhaps the most recognized for their use of candles. The number and specific colors of candles lit are symbolic. In addition to the burning of candles,white garment churches such as The Celestial Church of Christ spray ‘spiritual perfumes’ and burn incense during prayer sessions in order to create a good aura. Although this ambience is believed to intensify the efficacy of prayers, it has also occasioned fatalities. Mr Kayode Badru, a rich Nigerian businessman and philanthropist did not live to tell the story. It was reported he attended his church for special prayers where holding seven lit candles, seven elders and prayer warriors encircled him in prayer. Amid the prayers, it’s believed that one of the clergymen sprayed the said spiritual perfume which ignited by the candles, set Badru ablaze beyond recognition. He was rushed to the hospital where he eventually died. Another distressing but nonfatal account is one of a young a man who was allegedly taken by family members to a church for cleansing and deliverance from the spirit of homosexuality. Disturbing images show a live candle and a pool of hot melting wax sitting atop the victim's head in a bid to "burn out the spirit."
Where in developed countries the use of candles is optional, over a billion people across the world live without access to constant electricity of which 2 million are South African households, 4 million Liberian and a staggering 93 million are Nigerian. The use of candles as a primary source of illumination in the 21st century serves as a political statement and is a testament to the Nigerian government’s continued negligence and failure to provide one of the most basic social amenities for its citizens sixty years after colonial independence. Whether it be used as a form of therapy or self-care, feeding an international frenzy as one of the most coveted lifestyle products, used as a tool to incite torture, abuse and death or defy darkness as a source of illumination, it's difficult to ignore the fact that candles are and will continue to be deeply integrated in our society.
