Candlelight, not for vigils, cakes, dinners

Candlelight may have become more of a thing for romantic dinners and public vigils than utilitarian light-throwing. But Germany seems to be going through a candlelight revival - and it's not just because people there are nostalgic for simpler times or yearning for Gemutlichkeit, or genial company around lit wicks. The government has stated that chances of major blackouts due to power shortage - which may be caused by shortage of gas due to the ongoing sanctions by Russia in response to European sanctions for the invasion of Ukraine - are slim. But German citizens, being like all citizens of the world, take government with two pinches of wax. People are stocking up on tea lights, wax and pillar candles, the last one being the very wide, free-standing (you don't need to melt its base to make it stand) candles that stay lit for a long time. Christmas trees, apparently, are also going on sale without the traditional electric lights as accessories but with candlestands this time.

In India, candles are now found more on birthday cakes than in cupboards ready to be taken out during 'load-sheddings'. The option of the mobile phone light, the usual go-to when lights do go out, is only to help find one's way or something in the dark, not really an option while sitting during a power cut. Which means also keeping match boxes handy.