Normally the light-sensitive electric candles come out of the windows by Mardi Gras, a sort of arbitrary cutoff I developed years ago when I found myself unable to remove them sooner.
Of course most people would get them out after the holidays. But I so love the way they come on as the light fades, from faint flickering to candle glow, and they remind me of the magic of Colonial Williamsburg first experienced as a very young child. The 18th century, c’est moi.
The cold and the snow are so deep this year, the candles remain, a week past Ash Wednesday. Another week, the days will be that much longer, maybe above freezing, and it will finally feel like time. But I am grateful for the extra light this winter.