“I wonder if that applies as well to the wicks from the Shabbos lights”
I think the reason people took to the menorah wicks above shabbos wicks, is that its only once a year, so they can be big about it. Ditto for the lulav.
Speaking for myself, there’s also something comforting about the close of one yom tov being the precursor to the next one (like, for example, when I’m saying the last al haninsim, I’m thinking ahead to purim. It keeps me going)