when do you burn bayberry candles

Bayberry candles are traditionally burned on Christmas Eve and/or New Year’s Eve, usually from dusk or first star until after midnight, and ideally all the way “to the socket” for good luck and prosperity in the coming year. Many families treat it as a once‑a‑year ritual, timing the burn so the candle can safely finish on its own as the new day begins.

Traditional timing

• The most common custom is to burn a bayberry candle on Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, or both nights.

• It is often lit in the evening when the first star appears or around dinnertime so it can burn into the night.

How long to let it burn

• Folklore says the candle should burn until after midnight and preferably all the way down on its own, “to the socket,” to seal in good fortune and prosperity.

• Some families start around 5–6 p.m. so the taper has time to burn low before bedtime, then let it finish in a safe spot, like a sink or sturdy holder.

Meaning and superstition

• The ritual is associated with bringing a year of prosperity , blessings, and good luck to the household.

• A popular rhyme says that a bayberry candle burned to the socket “brings food to the larder and gold to the pocket,” reinforcing its good‑fortune symbolism.

Safety and practical tips

• Always trim the wick (often to about 3/8 inch for tapers) and place the candle in a secure, nonflammable holder before starting the long burn.

• Because bayberry tapers can burn for many hours, set them where they are stable and away from drafts, decorations, and anything that could catch fire.

Quick Scoop recap

• Burn on: Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, or both.

• Start time: At first star or early evening.

• End time: Let it burn past midnight and, by tradition, all the way down on its own.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.