Candles and Candle Holders in Hand Luggage: Allowed?!?

 

Are you allowed to carry candles in your hand luggage?

Candles in solid form, such as wax candles, may be transported in hand luggage within the EU and also outside the EU without restrictions. Neither the security staff at the airport nor the airlines themselves have anything against the transport of such candles in hand luggage.

Only very large and massive solid candles could cause problems in exceptional cases, because such candles could be regarded as a potential weapon at the security checkpoint or simply too large/heavy to be transported in hand luggage.

Gel candles, on the other hand, are generally prohibited in carry-on baggage, as such candles are considered liquids and therefore the rule of liquids in hand luggage needs to be observed.

 

Is there a limit to the number of candles you can take with you?

No. You can carry as many candles in your hand luggage as you like. And that regardless of whether you are travelling with Ryanair, Lufthansa or easyJet. However, you must of course always make sure that you do not exceed the basic requirements for hand luggage (size and weight).

I have already drawn up a list for you with the hand luggage regulations for all well-known airlines worldwide. There you can see at a glance how much hand luggage is allowed by the various airlines.

You must also make sure that the candles do not protrude from your hand luggage. That would be forbidden.

 

Candlelight dinner on the plane?

Of course, you must not light the candles on the plane under any circumstances. Theoretically, however, this would be possible, as one lighter per person may be carried “on the body” (e.g. in a trouser pocket, but NOT in hand luggage).

 

Candles in hand luggage during trips to the USA

The USA has very strict rules when it comes to permitted and non-permitted items in hand luggage and so it is always worth taking a look at the website of the American Transportation Security Administration TSA to check whether the item in question also is allowed when travelling to America or not.

And, lo and behold, candles in solid form, such as wax candles, are not even considered by the TSA to be disguised terrorist weapons. That is good to know.

Only gel candles need to be stowed in checked baggage when travelling in the US. So the situation with candles is about the same as in Europa (EU). That makes a whole lot of sense because gel-like candles are liquids, after all.

If you have a specific question about hand luggage regulations in the US, just drop them a message. The TSA has conveniently set up two contact channels for this purpose:

• Ask the TSA via Facebook
• Ask the TSA about Twitter

I recommend sending them a message through Twitter. The TSA staff answers very quickly and you can even attach a picture alongside your message. That is extremely helpful.

 

Candlesticks in hand luggage?

In this article, we have seen that solid candles in hand luggage are generally fine.

But what about candlesticks?

Whether a candlestick makes it through the security checkpoint mainly depends on the following two factors:

• How big and massive is the candlestick? Small plastic candle holders should be absolutely no problem. Larger metal candlesticks, on the other hand, will have a poor chance at security, as they are quite likely to be classified as a dangerous object (potential weapon) at security and therefore confiscated.
• Security officers at the security checkpoint: Finally, as is so often the case with hand luggage, it is up to the security officers at the security check to decide whether object XYZ may or may not pass through. No matter what the airlines have to say. In plain language, this means: When transporting larger, heavier candlesticks in hand luggage, you are simply dependent on a portion of luck.