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History Of Candles
Did you know that first candles were made in Egypt as far back as 3000 BC ? The Egyptians made them from animal fat, actually, they would soak reed cores into molten tallow. They also used beeswax, not much different from the one we use today.
There is also evidence that in the third century BC candles were made with wax from tree seeds and insects in Japan and China. In India, they used wax from boiling cinnamon to make candles, while in Tibet, candles were made from yak butter.
Romans were the ones who developed the wick out of woven fibers and dipped it in melted animal suit or in melted beeswax, just like we make hand dipped candles today. Later, wicks were made from papyrus, from rice paper, or vegetable fibers twisted together.
Native Americans in the first century AD made candles from an oily kind of fish, called candlefish or smelt. They would draw a wick through it, put it on a stick and burn it. Also, some birds that had a high content of fat in their bodies were killed and dried to become "candles".
In the middle ages, candles were mostly made from tallow, fat from sheep and cattle. But tallow in the candles smelt unpleasantly, candles would bend and melt, and they produced a lot of smoke.
Churches and others who could afford it made candles from beeswax, introduced to the western culture at this time. It was superior because of its pleasant aroma and it burned clean.
The pioneer Americans used tallow obtained not just from farm animals but also from bears, as well as deer and moose fat. Looking for cleaner candles, American colonists found that boiling bayberries was a great way to get quality candle wax, though the process was quite long and expensive. Finding a suitable wax for candles that would be economical as well took some time.
Scientists worked on finding materials for making candles that would burn clean. They experimented with oil from the sperm whale, clean and harder than tallow and beeswax. Then they tried with rape seed. They also used animal fat but tried to extract the glycerine (the culprit for the unpleasant odor).
After paraffin became used in candle making in 1850, it slowly prevailed over other types of waxes. It burned way cleaner than tallow, it didn't have the awful smell, could be hardened with stearine, and it was cheap enough. Soon, every household could afford candles, not just for simple lighting but for decoration as well.
In the 1990s, the development of new kinds of waxes, soy wax and palm wax among others, brought a new revolution into candle making. We've come a long way from lighting torches and pagan rituals. Today, candle makers are concerned for environment and they offer a multitude of shapes, fragrances and colors, so that we can use candles to celebrate our lives every day.