Courting Candle- Treasure Chest Thursday

This is a photograph of a courting candle we have owned for many years.  I have no idea if it is an original or a reproduction.  It makes for good conversation when visitors want to know the story behind this curiosity.

In colonial times courting couples were allowed to stay up late and visit in the parlor.  A young lady had to defer to her father, to decide if her gentleman caller was a good match or not.  The parents would light the courting candle, and the father would decide if the young man was worthy of a long or short visit by how high or low he set the candle in the holder.  He could also decide to snuff out the candle and cut the visit short!  When my daughter was a teenager, this artifact brought looks of surprise to her friends faces when we told this story!  How things have changed!

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Courting Candle - Treasure Chest Thursday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted June 2, 2011, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2011/06/courting-candle-treasure-chest-thursday.html: accessed [access date]).