A beautiful story compares two Shabbat candles to two people. Two individuals, like separate wicks of two Shabbat candles, begin Shabbat as distinct souls. Over the course of the Shabbat day, they spend quality time together and become closer to one another. By the end of Shabbat the individuals have become so intertwined ~ they are like the twisted wicks of the Havdala candle.
Ages: 8-12
Materials:
thin taper candles (also works with longer Chanukah candles)
deep pan ½ filled with hot water
Instructions:
Fill a deep pan with hot water. You want the water to be as hot as your hands will comfortably manage in for a few minutes. Take two candles and submerge in the water for a minute, allowing them to soften. Once you feel the candles are soft enough to bend, twist the candles UNDER water: hold the wicks together with one hand and use the other hand to twist the softened candles together. Remove candles from the water and let them cool on the counter.
As long as the candles are underwater and the water is warm, they will stay soft and you can mold them to get the look you want. As soon as you take the candles out of the water, they will cool off and harden in the twisted form.
Braided Variation:
Follow the steps above, but use three candles. When candles get soft in the water, quickly braid them together under water. Take them out to cool. For this method, it may help to have a second pair of hands ~ one person can hold the tops of the candles together while the other person braids them.
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