Pathway luminaria candle hours
Estimate candle packs for pathway luminarias from bag count, nightly hours, nights, and burn time for Prince William County holiday walks.
candles = ceil(bags × hours_per_night × nights ÷ burn_hours); packs = ceil(candles ÷ pack_size)
When to use
Use this after you know how many luminaria bags line the path and how long they should burn each evening.
Tealights often run 3–4 hours; luminary votives commonly 6–8 hours. Wind and foil cups change real burn time — pad with spares.
Bags that need a fresh candle each lighting.
Scheduled burn window.
Christmas Eve week, walk nights, etc.
Tealight ~3–4 h; votive ~6–8 h.
Box count from the package.
Wind outs and mid-night replacements.
Worked example
Example defaults — 24 bags; 4 h/night; 3 nights; 4 h burn; 50/pack; spare 12.
Compute: candle-hours = 24×4×3 = 288; candles = ceil(288÷4) = 72; +12 spare = 84; packs = ceil(84÷50) = 2.
If burn time is shorter than the nightly window, each bag needs multiple candles per night — the formula already handles that.
Limits / assumptions
Units: hours and whole bags/packs.
Assumptions: one candle station per bag; burn hours are nameplate averages in still air.
Not a substitute: open-flame permits, LED luminaria planning, or sand-fill safety checks.
Never leave open flames unattended. Use sand in bags, keep clear of dry mulch, and prefer LED tealights on windy nights.
FAQ
LED tealights?
Set burn hours to the battery runtime, or use the battery-pack runtime tool for packs.
Only bag count?
Use driveway luminaria bag count first, then return here for candle shopping.
Partial nights?
Use fractional hours_per_night if you light a shorter window.
Why packs?
Retail candles sell in boxes — this rounds up so you do not short the last night.