Candle...

Korean people generally think candles are demanded only for emergency case that the power supply is cut off. Our electric power was not good enough so we had to be in the dark many times for about an hour or more, relying on only the candles. It happened a lot especailly in summer when the power consumpion peaks. The candles used to be the necessity of life in our 1970's. I remember that we had a few candles at home when young. We were stranded in our rooms and waited until the return of the lights. We were giggling, playing hide and seek in the dark. It was fun. At this time, there are almost nothing left of those long, white candles in Korea. In other words, our electric power get strong so much. No power off at all.



Candles are different uses in the United States. Basically, they might start from the same uses; in case of blackout. The quantity of consuming and the area of usages are larger and more extensive than us, though. There are a bunch of candles at every corner of shops. Each shop has roughly more than 50 types of candles. Most of them give out a smell. As Barry Schwartz, an author of "The Paradox of Choice" mentioned from the book, I could not easily determine what to choose among them that I just get out of the shop without buying them at all. I mean Americans seem to spend more candles than us for some reasons.

What make the candles be much spent here? I wonder. Gardening is so developed in the United States because of the states or cities- level rules about landscape or something else. Like gardening, the candles also have some reasons why they are widely distributed? Or, it is just for the aroma?