Have you ever thought about the conveniences that we have today?

We flip a switch and turn on a light, and think nothing of it! If there is one thing about modern life that we really take for granted, it is indoor electric lighting. Imagine, a home in the Middle Ages. It is night, and a single candle lights the interior of the room. This candle provides light for the family’s night time activities. Now, you know how much light a candle flame gives off….not much! And our candles are much more advanced than theirs were!

Today, candles are very popular.They are no longer the major source of light, but are symbols of celebration, romance and ceremony, as well as essentials in home atmosphere and decor.

Below is a brief history of how candles and candle making all started…

The Ancient Egyptians and Early Romans relied on Tallow, which is animal fat, or suet, and they soaked reeds in this melted tallow, which was probably from cattle and.or sheep, and then lit the reeds to produce a flame that stayed lit for a time. Although these reeds did not actually have wicks, they are most likely the origin of candles. The Romans are credited with developing the wick candle, using it to aid travelers in the dark, and lighting homes and places of worship at night.

Candle making was developed independently in many countries throughout history.

The Egyptians seem to be the first to form their candles out of beeswax as early as 3000 BC. Unlike tallow candles, beeswax candles had a pleasant odor and burned with a clean flame. They were, and still are today, renowned for their long-burning quality. They were also burned almost exclusively in churches and wealthy households due to their high cost. Archeological digs have unearthed candlesticks in Egyptian and Cretan sites dating to about 3000 BC.

The Chinese created candles from whale fat during the Qin Dynasty (221–206 BC).

In early China and Japan, tapers were made with wax from insects and seeds, wrapped in rice paper.

In India wax from boiling Cinnamon was used for temple candles.

Excavations at Pompeii, Italy, revealed several candelabra

Colonists offered American's contribution to candle making by producing bayberry candles, produced from the extract gathered from boiling bayberries. Although the task was tedious (an average of 15 lbs. of bayberries boiled would yield only 1 lb. of wax), their unique aromatic smell made bayberry candles a popular tradition during the holiday season. This tradition lives on today.

In the late 18th Century the first historically noted "standard candles" were developed as a result of the growth of the whaling industry: spermaceti candles. Spermaceti was obtained from whale fatty acids. Candles made from spermaceti smelled clean and the hard wax did not soften or bend in hot temperatures as the tallow and beeswax ones did. They were also known for their bright white flame which became the standard unit of photometry, the measurement of light.

Contemporary candlemaking began during the Industrial Revolution with major discoveries in candle making. The early 1800's saw breakthroughs both in the components of candles and in the methods of producing candles. The discovery of petroleum led to the development of paraffin wax which went into full production in 1850. Paraffin wax, produced by distilling the residues from the refining of crude petroleum, burned cleanly, had no unpleasant odor, and was the most economical to produce. Its one drawback, a low melting point, was corrected by the discovery and use of stearic acid in paraffin candle making. In 1834, inventor Joseph Morgan introduced his candle making machine. It allowed continuous production of molded candles by the use of a cylinder which featured a movable piston to eject candles as they solidified.

The discovery of petroleum also brought about superior oil lamps and gas lighting. These alternative sources of lighting, along with the invention of the light bulb in 1879, prompted the decline of candles as the primary source of light by the late 1800's. However, during the first half of the twentieth century, increases in the U.S. oil and meat packing industries resulted in more of the by-products used as the basic ingredients of contemporary candles: paraffin and stearic acid. Once again candle use grew.

Nowadays, candles are usually made from wax of some sort. Parrafin is the most common, but there are also candles made from gel, soy and beeswax.

The 1990s witnessed an extraordinary surge in the popularity of candles, and for the first time in more than a century, new types of candle waxes were being developed. In the United States, agricultural chemists began to develop soybean wax, a softer and slower burning wax than paraffin. On the other side of the globe, efforts were underway to develop palm wax for use in candles.

Today's Candles

Candles have come a long way since their initial use. Although no longer used as a major source of light, they continue to grow in popularity and use. Today, candles symbolize many celebrations, create the mood for romance, soothe the senses, are used for ceremony, and to accent your house or home— casting a wonderful glow and sometimes an amazing aroma for everyone to enjoy.

Technical Stuff

The heat of the match used to light the candle melts and vaporizes a small amount of fuel. Once vaporized, the fuel combines with oxygen in the atmosphere to forma flame. This flame provides sufficient heat to keep the candle burning via a self-sustaining chain of events: the heat of the flame melts the top of the mass of solid fuel, the liquified fuel then moves upward through the wick via capillary action and the liquified fuel is then vaporized to burn within the candle's flame.

The burning of the fuel takes place in several distinct regions (as evidenced by the various colors that can be seen within the candle's flame). Within the bluer regions, hydrogen is being separated from the fuel and burned to form water vapor (I know it sound silly). The brighter, yellow part of the flame is the remaining carbon being oxidized to form carbon dioxide.

As the mass of solid fuel is melted and consumed, the candle grows shorter. Portions of the wick that are not evaporating the liquid fuel are consumed in the flame, limiting the exposed length of the wick and keeping the temperature and rate of fuel consumption even. Some wicks require manual trimming with scissors or a wick trimmer for even burning.

So there you have it…. The history of Candle Making!