Candles have come a long way since their earliest known times around the 4th century BC. C. There was a time when candles were one of the only sources of artificial light. The early Egyptians used reeds soaked in tallow (animal fat) and called them rushes. During the time of the Roman Empire, tallow was melted until liquid and then poured onto hemp or flax fibers. The Chinese and Japanese made candles from wax derived from insects and seeds and molded them into paper tubes. In India, taper candles were made by removing the wax from boiling cinnamon. Beeswax candles appeared in the Middle Ages, but quantities were limited, making them too expensive for anyone but the upper class.
Candle making, as we know it, made its debut during the 13th century when chandeliers (candle makers) traveled from door to door creating candles from customer’s tallow or beeswax. In the United States, Native Americans made their first candles using oily fish on a forked stick. The first missionaries obtained their wax by boiling the bark of the Cerio tree. Early settlers in colonial America discovered that they could boil the berries of the bayberry shrub and create a wonderfully scented candle that burned well. Unfortunately, the process to make this wax was extremely cumbersome and tedious. During the 19th century, the first patented candle-making machines were created. This allowed all households, regardless of class, to have them.
We no longer use candles as our main source of light, but they are still a very important part of our lives. We use them for many of our ceremonies, as decorations for our homes, to scent our homes, and to create warm glows in our homes during special or romantic occasions. What would romance be without candlelight?