Brownstoneshopper’s Blog

The John Hughes film Sixteen Candles was THE film of my early teens. I couldn’t help but cheer on Molly Ringwald’s character, Samantha, as she went through a non-birthday birthday until, finally, she was able to blow out her sixteen candles in the most unexpectedly welcome of ways.
To me, that candle blowing scene was more than just a cute wrap up to a cute movie. It symbolized hope, a future, a celebration – even if it was just Samantha and her ultimate crush, Jake Ryan.
For hundreds of years, we’ve used candles to mark birthdays, rituals and religious celebrations. They’ve been powerful media in film, television, art and literature with they’re mere presence communicating a myriad of messages. They permeate our lives and tell us that these special occasions mean something and they will not be the same without candles.

Happy Birthday to You!
Just like in the movie Sixteen Candles, blowing out the candles on your cake is the highlight of any birthday celebration, big or small. It’s interesting how what was once a trial by fire, a test to see how strong you’ve grown as you age, has now become a herald to mark the passing of the old year and the start of the new. As a child, I used to be very particular about how I blow out my candles: there was the wish, then the single breath, then blowing out every single one. I felt that my wish just won’t come true if I missed any flame! Around the globe, most people now celebrate their birthdays this way, give or take a few local traditions. However, no one can really tell us when the practice started, only that it became more popular when both birthday cakes and the Birthday Song became fashionable sometime in the 1900s.

Best Wishes!
Aside from birthdays, candles now play an important role in weddings. I was at a friend’s wedding recently and saw candles in almost every part of the ritual. It was part of the entrance procession of the officiant, wedding entourage and the bride. It was present at the altar and a unity candle ritual was used during the wedding vows to symbolize the couple’s commitment to one another.
Apparently, the unity candle has its origins in Wiccan practices. However, these days, they’ve been gaining acceptance in Christian weddings.
In Jewish weddings, candles, symbolizing joy, are carried by the bride and groom’s escorts to the wedding canopy.

Happy (or Blessed) Holidays!
At many religious holiday celebrations around the world, candles take center stage. They have come to symbolize so many things for so many people from every creed and culture.
Christmas
The Advent Wreath is an evergreen wreath that acts as holder for 4 candles. In the Roman Catholic Church, these candles are usually three violet colored ones and one rose. Protestant churches usually make use of four red candles. Some variations of the Advent Wreath have an additional white candle in the center. Each element of the wreath symbolizes the coming of Jesus Christ at Christmas. The wreath represents eternity while each candle represents each of the four weeks leading up to Christmas as the faithful wait in joyful anticipation. The additional white candle in the center represents Jesus Christ himself. The Advent Wreath candles are either lit during the four remaining Sunday services or masses until Christmas, or at family homes.
Hanukkah
Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday which is also known as the Festival of Lights. It is an eight-day holiday which commemorates the rededication of the Jewish Holy Temple in Jerusalem around the 2nd century BCE. During the eight nights of Hanukkah, the lights of a special candelabrum, called the menorah, are lit from left to right, accompanied by special blessings and, often, a family meal. The number of lights lit is increased by one as the nights of Hanukkah progress. An additional light called a shamash, usually positioned separately from the other eight, is also lit each night and is commonly used to light the other flames. The menorah is meant to be seen from the outside of a home, reminding the passers-by of the true meaning of the holiday.

The Sabbath
Special mention here must be made about the presence of candles during the Jewish observance of the Sabbath. To those who observe it, the Sabbath, beginning at sunset of the sixth day of the week (Friday) and ending on sunset of the seventh day, is a precious gift from the Most High – a day of rest, spiritual enrichment and inner reflection.  To commence the Sabbath, candles are lit and special prayers are said. This responsibility usually falls on the oldest woman of the home. After the candles are lit the person saying the prayer covers her eyes, so as not to see the light.

Buddhist Lent & Candle Festival
Little know to people in the Western world are the practices of Buddhism. In Thailand, where over 90% of the population adheres to this religion, Buddhist practices and observances impact daily lives and national holidays. The Candle Festival marks the beginning of Buddhist Lent, celebrated sometime in July. On the day before Buddhist Lent, people young and old dress up to parade elaborately designed and sculpted candles, exhbiting the strength, unity and Buddhist piety of the community.  The candles are offered at the temples to serve as illumination for the monks in the coming days. Afterwards, there will be feasting, music, dancing and even a beauty contest to select “Miss Candle!”
The day after Candle Festival commences a three-month period of lent wherein Buddhist monks are required to stay only inside their temples, except for extreme emergencies. These monks will continually meditate and contemplate.

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is a 7 day festival celebrating the African American people, their culture and their history. During this time, African American communities come together to celebrate, feast and commemorate important events in their history. Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26 till New Years Day, January 1. A new candle is lit on each day of Kwanzaa to represent each of the principles called Nguzo Saba or, simply, Seven Principles. These candles are placed in special candle holders called the kinara.

Keep the flame alive!
There are many more occasions around the globe where candles are used. For instance, during Holy Week, All Souls and All Saints Days, during the Scandinavian St. Lucy’s Day and in many local rituals and observances in cultures vast or small. Truly, the candle has come to symbolize so much for so many. Just like in Sixteen Candles, they can represent hope just as much as remembrance. Candles connect people with their faith, their beliefs, their cultures and their community. And, for as long as a candle is burning, it says something to us, about what it means to be on this planet.

If there’s one thing I love about being human (among other things) it’s the fact that I can see in color. Now,… that may sound so insignificant, but imagine if you were deprived of your sight or even deprived of your ability to see color. Imagine if there was no color in the world. To me, a world without color is like a world without emotion, without definition.

Color does something that makes the world the rich, bountiful experience that it is. What’s interesting is that color not only *colors* (pardon the pun) our world, but it also kindles powerful emotional and psychological reactions in us. Advertisers, manufacturers, interior designers know this – which is why certain products for sale are packaged in a particular color, or why a designer would choose a particular color scheme for a space. Why and how then do people respond to color?

First of all, color vision is an intriguing phenomenon. For one thing, it only exists in our brains. The ability to see color is actually our brain’s ability to interpret certain patterns of light and frequencies of light as a particular color.

Confusing? Let me put it this way.

A green leaf is not really a *green* leaf. Rather, we have named the frequency of light shining from the leaf as *green* and have culturally and scientifically accepted it as such. Human beings also have the ability to tell colors apart because we have the ability to perceive the difference between light frequencies. We then use LANGUAGE to describe these differences, naming them green, or blue, or yellow, or orange, or purple. Since much of color recognition lies in the brain, tests have also shown that the body responds physiologically when particular colors are experienced or seen. Scans show that our skin, blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, and the blinking of our eyes changes depending on what color we see. These physiological responses, in turn, translate as feelings or emotions.

We can then say that different colors evoke different reactions in the viewer. And, since we have the facility of language, and the constant need to interpret our experiences, we then place meaning into these reactions. For instance, when we see the color yellow, it evokes in us a reaction akin to joy or euphoria. Which is why we say that yellow is a *happy* color.

Interestingly, a lot of the meaning we place on colors can actually be dependent on our culture. Let’s take for example the color *white.* To the Western world, white is a symbol of purity, virginity and cleanliness – hence, women wear white at their wedding. Did you know, however, that white is a symbol of mourning in many Asian cultures? If you live in China, then, white would be what you would wear to a funeral! Thus, the Chinese people believe that white denotes sorrow, grief, even, horror.

Studies have also discovered that gender plays a huge part in how we respond to color. Instinctively, we have assigned particular colors for particular genders. We dress baby girls in pink and baby boys in blue. For some, assigning colors for a particular gender is a hotly debated topic. But what the scientific studies say is that men would respond to certain colors differently from women. Men really do prefer blue more than women would. And women would generally prefer lighter colors than dark ones.

When men and women were placed in rooms with particular color schemes, heart rates would go up or down depending on what the color scheme was, and depending on gender! What this confirms is that color affects people on a subconscious level.

While culture, environment, gender, socio-economic status, even our age are some of the most important factors why color affects us the way it does, we cannot deny that we have a physiological and psychological response to color. Here are some common colors and what research has said about our response to them:

RED – Research shows that red is the very first color an infant discerns. More than that, red actually stimulates brain development in babies! Red is also known to enhance our taste buds, hence the plethora of restaurants painted in red, and we do have a tendency to stay in red environments longer.

PINK – While there is a gender bias for pink as the color for what all little girls are made of, pink has been used in prisons because it is, in fact, a calming color which reduces stress and anger. Other than that, pink also communicates “value” which is why pink is the color of choice for brands that promote a lot of “bling.”

BLUE – What’s interesting about blue is that it is not commonly found in food found in nature. Perhaps this is why the color blue acts as an appetite suppressant for us. Very few restaurants are painted in blue. But a lot of hospitals, clinics and spas are – precisely because it causes the brain to release tranquilizing hormones. Blue is also the color of fantasy on one hand and credibility on the other. Since blue dye was difficult to come by in ancient times, blue has become associated with positions of wealth and authority.

YELLOW – We all know it – yellow attracts attention. Partnered with black, it communicates caution or danger, perhaps because bees that sting and poisonous snakes carry yellow and black markings. Yellow, however, causes eye fatigue and irritation since it can be overly stimulating visually. Babies cry more and adults lose their temper faster in yellow rooms. Research also shows that yellow is highly visible in traffic hence, school buses are painted yellow, avoiding accidents. Dieters and gym buffs love yellow because it actually speeds up metabolism.

There are numerous other nifty things we can learn about color. In fact, there’s so much information out there that it merits another article! In Part 2, I will be discussing how color is actually light and how it can be good for us plus another list of colors and our psychological and physiological responses to them. Stay tuned!

References:

1.) Kim Andersen. “The Power of Color.” Article online at http://www.techexchange.com/thelibrary/powerofcolor.html

Instinctively, there are certain scents that I gravitate to when it comes to choosing my personal perfume and scented candles. I find that my favorite scents do wonders for my mood – especially after a bad day. The link between scent and emotions has been attributed to the fact that our body’s scent center in the brain, called the olfactory bulb, is intrinsically connected to where our emotional memories are stored. Joy, sorrow, anxiety, fear, rage – all these reside in one place and can be accessed through scent.

Moreover, these areas are also connected to parts of the brain that regulate heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, stress levels and even the balance of hormones. What this means is that fragrance CAN impact not just emotion, but the body’s physical response to it. This phenomenon has been studied by numerous scientists and researchers. In clinical studies on essential oils, doctors have discovered that certain scents can influence weight loss, increase learning and even assist in releasing emotional trauma. In market research, it was found that when a consumer actually smells a product, there is greater recall for the products other attributes. And, in psychological circles, studies have been made on the impact of scent on sexual attraction.

Truly, the power of scent cannot be discounted. In the art of aromatherapy, scent takes on another dimension. Practitioners believe that by smelling, applying, inhaling or massaging essential oils, we can benefit from the healing qualities of those oils. Aromatherapy believes that a whole range of illness or negative experiences/emotions can be relieved through the power of smell.

There is a scientific basis to this. The natural chemicals in essential oils, released through scent, are the ones that actually trigger our emotional and physical responses. Certain aldehydes, a powdery scent (think Chanel No. 5) are actually very calming to our central nervous system. Terpenes, a main component of natural essential oils, are also present in human metabolism. While the scent of peppermint, cardamom and rosemary contain stimulants that trigger the brain to receive learning. The presence of scent in our home can tremendously alter mood, even diffuse an emotionally charged situation.

Research has also found that scent can help regulate our glands and hormones. When scent triggers nerves in the brain, it also stimulates the release of hormones from our hypothalamus. Hormones affect reproductive growth, sex drive, our fight or flight response, digestion and also our heart rate. Since the endocrine system, where our glands and hormones belong, is extremely sensitive, one imbalance affects the whole system. Scent from essential oils assist in balancing hormone levels in our glands, including our thyroid, which governs metabolism and energy; reproductive organs and others.

It is because of this that fragrance can influence our energy levels, change our mood, and, even, kindle romance. It is also said that the right scent can impact how long we live!

I’d like to share with you a list of the most common scents and their uses in aromatherapy. This list can help inform your choices when it comes to choosing not just candle scents, but other fragranced products as well.

1.) If you are feeling angry, smell: bergamot, cedar, lemon, orange, rose, sandalwood, ylang-ylang.

2.) If you are feeling anxious, smell: lavender, chamomile, orange, ylang-ylang.

3.) If you are feeling depressed, smell: grapefruit, frankincense, lemon, lavender, orage, white angelica.

4.) If you are feeling sad, smell: bergamot, sage, eucalyptus, juniper, lavender.

5.) If you are feeling agitated, smell: bergamot, rosewood, rose, sage, ylang-ylang, sandalwood.

6.) If you are feeling bored, smell: cedar, spruce, thyme, cypress, black pepper.

7.) For concentration, smell: basil, peppermint, cypress, lemon

Aromatherapy practitioners recommend using essential oils in their pure form – through massage, application, diffusion and inhalation. Practitioners also believe that only therapeutic grade essential oils should be used.

If our favorite candle uses essential oils for fragrance, then we not only enjoy candles for their glow and beauty but we can also benefit from their aroma-therapeutic qualities. These candles have been specially formulated with 100% therapeutic grade essential oils. Moreover, product development and research focus on different types of fragrances, their benefits and the characteristics of each type.

Nonetheless, according to one candle company, not all scents we love can be derived from natural essential oils. Some amount of synthetic fragrances must be used either to imitate natural scents or to create totally new ones. What’s important is that candlemakers, make sure that the scents they use are safe for humans and that our favorite candle brands are labeled correctly. While not all candle scents are made from 100% pure essential oils and not all candles can be used for aromatherapy, science still points out the reality that smell is a powerful sense and that scents can indeed transform the mood and feel of a place. Smell can also link you to potent memories and can even influence your body’s responses. If you want to take advantage of the many benefits your olfactory sense can offer, start paying attention to what you smell. Read labels, patronize manufacturers who use healthy, safe ingredients and processes. Because, in this day and age of increasing awareness about synthetics, pesticides, and environmental degradation, maybe what this is saying is that we should also extend our care for ourselves and for the planet to what we smell.

References:

1.) “Fragrances, vitamins and hormones – the ABC of terpenes.” http://www.dermaviduals.com/cms/upload/Publikationen_english/BF-03-10-Terpene-engl.pdf
2.) “Essential Oils…more than aromatherapy”
3.) “Emotional response with therapeutic grade essential oils.” http://aromatherapy4u.wordpress.com/2008/12/27/emotional-respons

Handcrafted goods have been around for a long time. Since human beings discovered the value of working with
their hands, they’ve fashioned both functional and beautiful items from their sheer ingenuity alone. Through the
centuries, we’ve placed a lot of value on the work of human hands. However, the onset of mass and machine production
has made us forget for a little while that there were items out there that were made with the best of the best.
Conversely, those items that were handmade became items of luxury. Bags, clothing and sundry made by skilled artisans
command a high price and are reserved only for the elite.

We forget that around the world workers continued to make lovely goods for their or their family’s own use. These days,
attention is being paid to handcrafted goods made by the once-unrecognized craftspeople of the world.These goods are
becoming more and more well-known and their desirability in world markets is increasing.

Why Is That?

Handcrafted goods are prized for many reasons. If you are considering purchasing a handcrafted item, here are
some compelling reasons why they why they could be desirable to you.

For one thing, handcrafted goods are one-of-a-kind. There will definitely be no other person who has exactly
the same jewelry, the same basket, the same shawl as you do. Even items that are made to look the same will have
variations that no machine can produce.

Second, you are almost always guaranteed of quality. Artisans and crafters take great pride in their work.
Each piece they make is an integrated work of both skill and love. Hence, they are characterized by attention to detail
and painstaking work. Artisans and crafters also make sure to choose only the best and most appropriate materials for
their handiwork.

A third reason why handcrafted goods are so desirable is that buying handmade supports and sustains indigenous arts.
Modernization has taken our attention away from the rich culture that local groups can offer. When we buy
handmade goods, we help make sure that local arts and crafts are kept alive for generations to come. Otherwise,
these indigenous arts might die out and we may lose their legacy forever.

This is what it means when we say these arts are sustainable – that and the fact that artisans can choose to use organic
and natural materials that indigenous people have been using for ages.

More than this, handcrafted items are desirable because you know that each item actually supports an artisan and his
or her family and community. This is a way for you to contribute to making the world a better place.

Finally, buying handcrafted goods is a lifestyle statement you make. People feel good about themselves when they make a
conscious choice to buy items of high quality, attention to detail and craftsmanship, and which help women and children
find their way out of poverty. For me, that’s the most desirable quality of all.

References:

1). Sonya, S. – “The 5 Best Reasons to Buy Handmade Products”Article online

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Best-Reasons-to-Buy-Handmade-Products&id=1328269

2). Madelyn Chung, Sasha-Ann Simons, Lauren Solski – “What’s So Great About Handmade?”
Article on line http://thetyee.ca/News2010/03/05/Handmade/

Scientists believe that human beings discovered fire and what it can do close to two million years ago. It was with the use of fire that humans learned to protect themselves, to cook food, to keep warm and to provide light in darkness with the earliest lighting tools having been lamps and torches.

The candle, or something close to its current form, came to the picture late in the game — around 5,000 years ago.  According to the National Candle Association website, different cultures developed their own version of the candle in early history. Excavations in Egypt unearthed clay candle holders dating back almost 3,000 years. Moreover, it is believed that Romans were also using candles at the same time the Egyptians were. The most common materials to make candles then were papyrus dipped in beeswax or tallow, a substance made from the fat of beef or mutton. Additionally, candles made from whale fat were found in the mausoleum of an Ancient Chinese emperor who reigned around 200 B.C.

Whatever wax could be found from plants, insects and fat from animals, early civilizations used in some way as candles. From Japan, to India, to Tibet, to Europe, to the Mediterranean area, candles in one form or another were known to have existed.

And, in those days, candles functioned much in the same way as they did later in history: as sources of light and in religious ceremonies.

Later on, another function for candles was discovered – keeping time. Anglo-Saxons put notches in candles to mark measures of time. The Chinese used elaborate contraptions of candles, incense and threads as candle-clocks.

In Europe, from having been predominantly made out of tallow, candles started to be made out of beeswax. This was a welcome change because, for so long, users had to contend with the smoky, foul –smelling smoke that was produced by tallow candles. Beeswax burned clean, with a pleasant smell. However, since beeswax was hard to come by, they were quite expensive. Thus, beeswax candles were considered for the use of the very wealthy, royalty or religious ceremonies.

By the 13^th century, candle making had become a profession. Candle makers, called chandlers,  would use tallow to produce candles for use in households and as streetlights. Interestingly, chandlers also made items such as soaps, vinegar and cheese.

In colonial America, women at one time used wax from bayberries to make candles but this diminished in popularity since it took too many bayberries, and the process too tedious, to make an amount of wax viable for making candles.

The mid 1800s ushered in major changes in candle making. For the first time since the Middle Ages, different types of wax for making candles were discovered.

There was “spermaceti,”made from sperm whale oil. Like beeswax, this type of wax burned cleanly and with minimal soot. Unlike beeswax and tallow candles though, spermaceti candles gave off brighter light and was harder than other types of waxes.

In the 1820s, French chemists Michel Eugene Chevreul (1786-1889) and Joseph-Louis Guy-Lussac extracted stearic acid  from animal fatty acids, which led to the development of stearin wax, a harder type of wax. Candles were made from stearin wax for quite some time until the next giant leap in candle making occurred.

When paraffin was discovered in the 1850s as a byproduct of petroleum, it made a candle that was cheap, efficient and which was made from easily obtainable materials. It was eventually found that adding a little stearin wax made even harder candles that burned longer. The combination of paraffin and stearin became the standard formulation for candles in the years to come.

Paraffin candles are the white, glossy, almost transluscent candles that we all grew up with. They remain popular today in many areas of the globe with stearin wax candles still being used in Europe.

Because of the mass production of candles, large companies were born – focused on the business of making candles.  However, history took another turn as different types of lighting evolved. Lamps became popular due to the distillation of kerosene. In addition, electricity was discovered and the light bulb invented, thereby making other forms of lighting obsolete or unnecessary.

What became of candles?

Today, candles may no longer be used for lighting but they are here to stay. Candles amazingly keep increasing in popularity. Somewhere along the way, someone found that burning candles can bring out fragrance built into the wax. Today, they are used for decoration, for setting mood and ambience, and for the occasional power outage.

Still being used in religious ceremonies, candles have also gained recognition as tools for meditation, relaxation and spiritual awakening.

In the 1980s and 90s, interest in candles pushed for the development of different waxes, shapes, sizes, scents, and forms of candles. Entrepreneur and inventor Michael Richards began researching into alternative waxes, fragrances, and, even wicks, to make candles that can be enjoyed in any way a consumer wants.

Richards developed soybean wax as the first alternative to paraffin wax and the more expensive beeswax. Comparisons between paraffin wax and soy wax focus on questions about their benefits to health and the environment, while soybean wax trumped beeswax in terms of cost to produce and its sustainability as a resource.

Other waxes such as vegetable wax, coconut oil wax and wax blends continue to be researched as the candle industry persists in its search for a better burning, more fragrant, healthier, candle. Substances such as gels are also being used. Recently, there has been increased interest in using palm wax to make candles that burn well and that are kind to one’s health and the environment.

All these: 3,000 years of discovery, invention, and innovation has turned the candle from a source of light to a source of an almost spiritual experience.

If you are a candle lover, isn’t it interesting to know that candles have been used, loved and enjoyed for many centuries? You are part of a long history of candle making that’s made this unique item a vital part of human life.

In our opinion, candles can offer you enjoyment, relaxation, beauty, magic and luxury all in one package.  These days, there are so many options for you to choose from, to usher in a myriad of candle experiences for you or for someone precious enough to give a gift of a beautiful, fragrant candle.

Source:

1)      The National Candle Association, http://www.candles.org/about_history.html

B. Almirante, staff writer

brownstoneshopper.com

Brownstoneshopper’s Blog has been on hiatus for a bit and I have really missed not writing my bits and publishing them.   The last entry was August 7th, 2010 and interestingly enough it was about a National Lighthouse Day. Nothing in the universe is random and although some may think differently, in my humble opinion nothing is random. A lighthouse is a beacon for the ships at sea, to guide them safely inland,  and in some ways that was a metaphor for us. Our company has had exciting and interesting adventures over the past many weeks as if we were a ship. We have grown and expanded in the past 12 months, incorporating new ideas and items into our product line. We have lost our staff writer B. Almirante who is exploring new horizons – we’ll miss you B.,  and we’ve got some interesting ideas in development.

I’ve been earning my stripes as the President of the company, and have learned things about myself in the process. I have learned to be open to ideas that you think won’t work, and that no matter what your plans are, sometimes your head is ahead, -no pun intended- of the Universal Schedule. In any case Spring 2011 is here and brownstoneshopper will soon be open for business.  We look forward to sharing our unique gift idea with you, and bringing you wonderful and novel items that will inspire and transform your personal space and your life. I know I’ve said this before but, Stay tuned…

Karen Davis, President

brownstoneshopper.com

This posting  is a day late, but it is a great article. Are you familiar with this day in history?

I’ve always been fascinated by lighthouses. To me, they are giant candles that light your way in the darkness. These days, everything is so digital and high-tech that we sometimes can’t imagine how they managed in the good old day. On August 7, however, we honor human ingenuity as we celebrate National Lighthouse Day.

On August 7, 1789, the United States Congress passed the “Act for the Establishment and support of Lighthouse, Beacons, Buoys, and Public Piers.” It also marked the commissioning of the first Federal lighthouse in the United States. On the Act’s 200^th anniversary in 1989, Congress again passed a resolution, this time designating August 7 as National Lighthouse Day!

Lighthouses are part of a heroic and industrious history that helped propel the United States to its status today. Lighthouses have swept their lights through storm, pounding waves, foul weather and fog, protecting our coasts and guiding our sailors, making sure that all were safe and secure for those on their journey as well as those safe in their beds. They’ve been impressive beacons calling our sea-faring loved ones home.

Unfortunately, a lot of our country’s famous lighthouses have fallen into disrepair, neglected over decades of technological development. Honoring them through the National Lighthouse Day encourages continued repair and restoration so that we do not lose their valuable legacy forever. Moreover, this day also shines its light on the many communities that have been built in the vicinity of lighthouses, the men and women who have kept them functioning, and those who make their livelihoods from the sea.

These days, there are still a number of functioning lighthouses around the country. Visiting these lighthouses with our families, students, colleagues, and peers can teach us a lot about their contribution to our society. In addition, local and national interest groups have been calling our attention to the preservation of lighthouses as grand examples of period architecture. Preserving them will provide architects, engineers, tourists, students and hobbyists living models as inspiration and focus of study.

If you are, however, just a simple fan like me (who is actually so fearful of heights that I can’t make it all the way to the top of a lighthouse), just LOOKING at one from the safe lower floors, or reading about a famous lighthouse, drawing or painting a picture of one will be enough to observe National Lighthouse Day. If this article has piqued your interest, think about what you can do on this day. Like me, you can either visit a lighthouse, read a book about them, or, you can find out more about your local lighthouse society and, even, volunteer!

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