It’s purpose was to help a couple make up after a fight when neither wants to be the first to break the silence. All one of them has to do is light a candle and show a desire to end the “cold war”.
After the other partner lights an answering candle, both know the fight is over. “Of course, sometimes a lone candle goes on burning for days before harmony is restored,” she observes. Additionally, it is customary for the couples to sit in meditation or in prayer before this family alter silently expressing gratitude that “their hearts have been cleansed and their minds free of anger and confusion.”