Another Finnish "Rite of Passage" is to make ice candles using buckets, when it is cold enough. However, it has to be cold enough to do it well and then, you have to pay attention, to make sure it isn't all for naught. In this case, my wife...
Prematurely dictated.
She put a bucket filled with water out on our doorstep last night, so it could freeze and she could make a nice little ice candle for the guests who are visiting. But, it wasn't that cold, yet she still forced me to make the candle, which isn't difficult, if the ice is thick enough, which it pretty much isn't.
The bucket of water needs to be frozen, but not all the way through, nor with edges too thick. This means that there it is frozen on top and the walls are frozen, but there is a cavity in the middle and toward the bottom of the bucket.
Running warm water on the outside of the bucket melts the wall to detach the candle holder and then, it is a job of pouring out the water from the core. But as you can see, as I could, the walls are a "bit thin" to have this work well - but as said - I was forced.
So....
This particular ice candle is thin, making it more fragile than a Fabergé Egg, but far less gaudy.
Once the water is out, it is then a task of taking the bucket outside and gently (especially with this one) tipping it upside down. Sometimes, there is the need to knock more of a hole in the top (bottom of the bucket) side, in order to let the heat escape without melting it, but this one had no such issues.
Stick a candle inside and light it, and you have a pretty little candle that will burn until the crows come and steal it away, once the flame has gone out.
They are nice to look at and are welcoming at the front door, but I am not sure how long this one is going to survive, as it is thin-walled and at only minus five degrees outside, it is more likely to melt away into a very slippery patch at the bottom of our stairs.
Still, it is fun to do and while this isn't the perfect example of it, as long as the weather is cold enough, pretty much anyone can have a bit of fun with doing something simple with their kids or, just because it is nice to have some candles out in cold weather.
With all the wild weather going on around the world at the moment, hopefully everyone is staying warm, dry, or cool - depending on where you are.
Taraz
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