The Care of Oil Lamps

Although some people use votive candles in their lamp, it is proper to burn olive oil. It is the fuel used in most monasteries and represents a very ancient tradition. Churches also traditionally use olive oil in their lamps. In the home, “Pious Orthodox faithful take oil frequently from the lamp and bless themselves, making the sign of the Cross on their foreheads.”Vigil Glass Stand/Lampada

The care of oil lamps is described below:

1. The Glass. A votive glass or any small glass with a wide mouth may be used for the lamp. (It is advisable, however, to use a glass large enough that it will hold enough oil to last at least ten or twelve hours.) Once used for this purpose the glass should not be reused for any other purpose. Traditionally, glasses used for oil lamps are red or blue, giving off a pleasant glow. Vigil Glass Cups

2. The Oil. The use of olive oil for the lamps is, as we have said, an ancient tradition, dating back as far as our Father Moses. The olive oil will burn better if the container in which it is stored is left open and allowed to age. Be sure to protect open oil from insects and other possible sources of contamination with cheesecloth or another form of screen. Before pouring the oil into the glass, it is a good idea first to add a small amount of water and a pinch of salt. The oil will float on the water, and, in the event that the lamp is left unattended for too long, will extinguish the flame, thus preventing the glass from cracking; the salt will inhibit the growth of microorganisms.

3. The Wick. To make a wick, use cotton string about a foot in length. Do not use coated or waxed string. Six–ply cotton string will be thick enough. If the wick is soaked in vinegar, it will burn more brightly and more cleanly. The wick should be allowed to dry thoroughly before being used. Float/Wicks

4. The Flame. The Fathers of the Holy Mountain (Mount Athos) have taught us to use a very low flame, which they call “passionless.” The flame should burn steadily and not flicker, since it is otherwise distracting during prayer. A lamp will burn six to twelve hours, depending mainly on the oil, but also on the size of the flame, the weather, etc. Before relighting a lamp, remove the excess carbon from the wick and twist the string slightly, in order to shape the wick into a point. Candle wax may be used to make a firm point, for ease in threading the wick. It should be trimmed off before lighting.

5. Cleaning. Napkins or tissue used to wipe off the carbon and oil

from the fingers should be burned in a special place (in the home censer, for example) and not thrown in the trash. Be careful not to drip or spill the oil when lighting the lamp. (Saint Theodore of Studion imposes a “penance” of thirty prostrations on an Ecclesiarch who spills oil from the Icon lamps.) The glass in the lamp should be washed periodically and the oil replaced. The water in which the glass is washed, as well as the old oil from the lamp, should not be poured down the drain. It is best, rather, to pour them under plants or trees or in an area that is not walked on.

We should show the same care and reverence that we display

towards the oil which we burn in front of an Icon for the Icon itself.