Hatboxes glossary: samovar + candles

Jews from the Pale—the area of Eastern Europe stretching from Poland  through Belarus, Lithuania, Ukraine and into Russia—absorbed some of the cultural practices of the gentiles around them, including the use of samovars to brew tea.  Often made of brass, samovars might feature elaborate metalwork.

Russian samovar and Sabbath candles

Traditionally, two candles get lit just before sunset on the Sabbath, though more than just two may be lit. Usually women light the candles and recite the prayer, but men are required to do so if no woman is present.  The candles mark the beginning of the Sabbath, a joyous moment.

What practices travelled with your family when they left their ancestral homelands?