Candles have been a symbol of enlightenment for many centuries. They appear in rituals of every culture, and are present in temples of different religions around the altars. Christmas candles light up our homes and places of worship throughout the holidays In the past, when there was no electricity, Christmas trees were decorated with candles around the balls. The pine as a Christmas symbol is fairly recent (around three-hundred years old.) The idea of lights that enlighten the path to salvation (or nirvana, baqa’, paradise, samadhi, etc; in the vocabulary of other religions) dates back to centuries before Jesus. It represents the spiritual light that emerges from the darkness.