The price of novena or semana candles is retreating from the seasonal high, although I do think that the cost of petroleum does, and will continue to, affect the cost of candles. Now that Guadalupe Day and Christmas are over, as soon as the day of the three kings passes, it will be time to restock. Our favorites have always been those from Reed Candle in San Antonio. H-E-B carries them, in two sizes, and nearly always at the lowest prices in town. These are the best, I’ve always thought. The wax comes closer to the top. It’s white wax in colored glass (or white wax in clear glass, great for giving more light in emergency situations). Other candles may be colored wax in clear glass, the preference of some. And recently, for the first time in ages, we found candles from Miracle Candle Company, a Laredo outfit. In these, the wax was white and the glass was clear; color was provided by wrapping the clear-glass cylinder in some sort of tinted plastic film, which seems less safe, somehow, than the other two methods. Recently, the NYT took a look at the business of manufacturing and selling this kind of candle, focusing on Reed Candle (“A Brisk Business in Selling Hope by the Wick,” byline Kate Murphy, 12/23/07). As the article reports, there are candles dedicated to favorite objects of devotion available, often with a suggested prayer. There are always just as many unadorned blue, red, amber, green, pink, and white ones. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen any of these tallish votives. On one side of the part of the label visible in the illustration is a color depiction of Our Lady of Guadalupe and, on the other, one of Our Lady of San Juan. Because Austin electric power seems to go down so often and at such inconvenient times, we always keep a number of the tall white candles in clear glass on hand for emergencies; they are much cheaper than what outdoor outfitters sell as emergency candles and generally last much longer.