Finding and buying cute, new Shabbat candlesticks has been on my to-do list for ages now. Every Friday night, just before sundown, I take out my giant box of Yehuda Shabbos candles and my stubby, silver sticks from Amazon and I remind myself to finally get a new pair. And then, after lighting the candles, I promptly forget about my urge for cuter Shabbat decor until the following week.
Now, thanks to the Princess of Pop, I might be able to finally check this task off my list.
Yesterday, a tweet went viral teasing the Taylor Swift official merch store for selling candleholders. As soon as I saw it, I stopped in my tracks. Those don’t just look like any old candleholders…
Did Taylor Swift make Shabbat candlesticks?!
Taylor Swift merch will always be funny to me like what do you mean she’s selling candle holders??😭 pic.twitter.com/vI54ZLk1SB
— girl who lives in delusion (@dontblameklara) November 13, 2023
The short answer is no. The $49 pair are called Your Touch Brought Forth An Incandescent Glow Candle Holders, have the lyrics “in from the snow” and “your touch brought forth an incandescent glow” etched on them, and according to the site, they are not guaranteed for winter holiday delivery.
However, I think the long answer is actually yes. After consulting My Jewish Learning and Chabad‘s websites, I was unable to find any specific Jews laws that apply to what constitutes a Shabbat candlestick. So basically, I’m not finding any source which is saying that I can’t use these to kindle the Shabbat flames. Plus, excluding the etched lyrics, these Taylor Swift candleholders look like nearly every single pair of Shabbat candlesticks I’ve seen in my life. They’re gold (okay they’re zinc alloy, but they look gold), sturdy enough to handle wax drippage every week and you can buy them as a pair. What more could you possibly want to welcome the Sabbath?
In any event, I’m seriously considering buying these. Shabbat shalom, Taylor!
