Q. My super successful son kindly gave a birthday dinner party for me in a glamorous London club. I have never used scented candles — I worry about the fire risk and, more recently, about the alleged particulates. No scent beats fresh air. So what should I make of the fact that when I unwrapped my presents the following morning, I found that 20 out of the 50 were scented candles? I am not the sort of person who takes offence, but are my friends trying to tell me something?
— Name and address withheld
A. Since you don’t have to rip off the packaging in front of the donor, candles are perfect for regifting. Many women stockpile them as back-up presents. No doubt your friends intended to shop for something more bespoke but found on the day of your dinner that they had no time. Better to bring a scented candle than to arrive empty-handed, they will have thought.
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