Shabbat is the most commonly occurring occasion when
candle holders are used. According to tradition, two
candles, usually in separate candlesticks, are lit each
Shabbat eve. One candle represents the commandment to
keep the Sabbath holy with the second to remember the
Sabbath. Some families light candles in a multi-branched
candelabrum instead of two individual candles, while
others light one candle for each member of their family.
Regardless of which tradition is followed, all candle
holders bear some sort of decoration, ranging from simple
to elaborate designs. Most candle holders are silver or
silver-plated. The older holders, made in the 17th and
18th centuries, are often large and unbalanced, and
some have square bases. In the nineteenth century,
candle holders became somewhat smaller and lighter.
Many were etched with images of foliage or animals.
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