With children in the house, most of us want to be extra-extra careful about household safety (without veering into overprotective paranoia, of course). With that in mind, it’s worth checking out these tips on Christmas tree safety from the National Safety Council. It should go without saying (but I’ll say it just in case) that you should be careful with candles of any denomination or ethnic background. These guidelines from the National Fire Protection Association may help. Among the facts on their site: “Christmas Day was the peak day of the year for home candle fires in 1999-2002. New Year’s Day and Christmas Eve tied for second.”