| A Bit About Candles... |
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| A bit of History... Before embarking on any candle making venture, it is important that you know a bit of how candles and candle-making evolved. Candles have been made from all sorts of substances throughout history, from animal fat to beeswax to whale fat (blubber) to cinnamon fruit and bayberries. It seems that if there was a need for light, whether utilitarian or celebratory in nature, some ingenious soul was going to figure out a way and the means to provide it. As early as 3000 BC, the Egyptians were noted as using candles. However, it was the ancient Romans who were actually credited with the creation and use of the wick'd candle even before that... According to history, they dipped rolled papyrus (or flax, hemp, or cotton) repeatedly in melted tallow (animal fat - most often cattle or sheep) or beeswax. The resultant "candles" were used to light their homes, in travel at night, and in religious ceremonies. Other early candle-makers included China (as early as 206 BC!), Japan, and India. The Chinese created candles from whale fat, but most notable were their candles created of wax from insects and seeds, wrapped in paper tubes, using rolled rice paper for wicks. In Japan, the wax was extracted from tree nuts. In India, wax was derived from boiling the fruit of cinnamon trees, which was then used to make the candles used in their temples. During the early Middle Ages, beeswax became the wax used for candles, because it burned more cleanly and smelled better - an improvement from tallow! It was expensive to create candles from beeswax, though, so they were generally limited to those who could afford them: the wealthy and churches. The later Colonial period in America introduced the use of bayberries to make candles. Colonial women would boil the berries, producing a sweet smelling wax. It also burned cleaner (and obviously smelled better!) than tallow. Though more economical, bayberry candle-making was labor intensive, tedious work, which most likely contributed to its failing popularity. The 18th century introduced spermaceti wax - made from whale oil - which replaced the use of tallow, beeswax and bayberry, until in the 19th century when changes and candle-making improvements were implemented. The discovery of stearic acid, the development of candle-making machinery, and the introduction of paraffin wax all contributed to the growth and popularity of candle-making. That is, until the invention of the light bulb, at which time candle-making began to decline resulting in an equal loss in candle popularity. The different waxes... Parrafin vs. Soy Pillars, Votives, Container Candles... Today's trends... |
| More to Come!!! |
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| A Bit About Candles... Candle Craft Candle Safety Favorite Candle Links Nat'l Candle Association |
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| Pamela C Arriaza * Valencia, CA 91355 pamela@sweetpea-and-violets.com Copyright 2008-2010 * SweetPea & Violets |
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