Luminaria Votive Candles ~ Candles come in 10 hour, 15 hour, and 20 hour. Bags (Item #9786798) are white to allow the votive candle to shine brightly around your home or walk way. To make a luminaria, put one to two inches of sand in the bottom of a paper bag. Nestle a tealight or votive candle into the center of the sand. When you're ready to use your luminaria, just light the wick of the tealight or candle. Be careful using luminarias on windy evenings. The hope among Christian believers is that the lights of the luminaria will guide the spirit of the Christ child to one's home. In recent times they are seen more as a secular decoration, akin to holiday lights, and have gained popularity in other parts of the country.