We buy dresses for parties we have yet to be invited to and heels for a trip to Paris we have yet to plan. The candles are all part of the illusion, the fantasy. The presence of candles creates the magical, soft glow that transforms a fluorescent-lit room into one of mystique.

Few objects available on the corner store have that ability. A candle is able to recall so many dimensions of life that it becomes as necessary and comforting as the blanket you slept with as a child.