E A R LY O R I G I N S

Candles have been used as a source of light and to illuminate celebrations for more than 5,000 years, yet little
is known about their origin. The earliest use of candles is often attributed to the Ancient Egyptians, who made
rushlights or torches by soaking the pithy core of reeds in melted animal fat. However, the rushlights had no
wick like a true candle.

EARLY WICKED CANDLES

While the Egyptians were using wicked candles in 3,000 B.C., the ancient Romans are generally credited with
developing the wicked candle before that time by dipping rolled papyrus repeatedly in melted tallow or
beeswax. The resulting candles were used to light their homes, to aid travelers at night, and in religious
ceremonies.
Historians have found evidence that many other early civilizations developed wicked candles using waxes
made from available plants and insects. In Japan, candles were made of wax extracted from tree nuts, while in
India, candle wax was made by boiling the fruit of the cinnamon tree. It is also known that candles played an
important role in early religious ceremonies.

MIDDLE AGES
Most early Western cultures relied primarily on candles rendered from animal fat (tallow). Beeswax candles
were widely used for church ceremonies, but because they were expensive, few individuals other than the
wealthy could afford to burn them in the home.
Tallow candles were the common household candle for Europeans, and by the 13th century, candlemaking
had become a guild craft in England and France. The candlemakers (chandlers) went from house to house
making candles from the kitchen fats saved for that purpose, or made and sold their own candles from small
candle shops.

COLONIAL TIMES
. Colonial women offered America’s first contribution to candlemaking, when they discovered that boiling the
grayish-green berries of bayberry bushes produced a sweet-smelling wax that burned cleanly. As a result, the
popularity of bayberry candles soon diminished.
The growth of the whaling industry in the late 18th century brought the first major change in candlemaking
since the Middle Ages, when spermaceti — a wax obtained by crystallizing sperm whale oil — became
available in quantity. Like beeswax, the spermaceti wax did not elicit a repugnant odor when burned, and
produced a significantly brighter light.
19TH CENTURY ADVANCES
Most of the major developments impacting contemporary candlemaking occurred during the 19th century.
Stearin candles remain popular in Europe today.
In 1834, inventor Joseph Morgan helped to further the modern-day candle industry by developing a machine
that allowed for continuous production of molded candles by using a cylinder with a movable piston to eject
candles as they solidified. With the introduction of mechanized production, candles became an easily
affordable commodity for the masses.
Paraffin wax was introduced in the 1850s, after chemists learned how to efficiently separate the naturally-
occurring waxy substance from petroleum and refine it. Odorless and bluish-white in color, paraffin was a boon
to candlemaking because it burned cleanly, consistently and was more economical to produce than any other
candle fuel.

THE 20TH CENTURY

Candles enjoyed renewed popularity during the first half of the 20th century, when the growth of U.S. oil and
meatpacking industries brought an increase in the byproducts that had become the basic ingredients of
candles – paraffin and stearic acid.
The popularity of candles remained steady until the mid-1980s, when interest in candles as decorative items,
mood-setters and gifts began to increase notably. Candles were suddenly available in a broad array of sizes,
shapes and colors, and consumer interest in scented candles began to escalate.
The 1990s witnessed an unprecedented surge in the popularity of candles, and for the first time in more than a
century, new types of candle waxes were being developed.

TODAY’S CANDLES
Candles have come a long way since their initial use. While they are no longer used as a major source of light,
they continue to grow in popularity and use. Today, candles serve to symbolize a celebration, ignite romance,
soothe the senses, honor a ceremony, and accent home decors — casting a warm and lovely glow for all to
enjoy.

KINDS OF CANDLE AND ITS MEANING

Votive Candles

Candles placed in small glass containers often round or square in shape are called Votive
candles. They look great when cluttered together on glass or metallic trays or on mirrors. These candles are
smokeless and usually last for a long time brightening up your room. The flame extinguishes on its own when
the wax in the candle burns down.
H I S TO RY O F C A N D L E S
Pillar Candles

Pillar candles are long sturdy candles in round or square shape varying in height. Pillar candles can
have textured sides or sleek simple sides. Since these candles have more wax they burn for a longer time and
are considerably smokeless. Pillars come in different sizes having more than one wick. These can be placed
on a table but they look spectacular on a hanging chandelier in the sitting room or over a dining table. The glow
of these candles lights up the room with a warm light giving the room a more romantic atmosphere.

Taper Candles

Traditional long tapering candles mostly used in candle holders are called taper candles. They
can vary in length but their points are rounded where the wick burns and produces light. Taper
candles are often made with beeswax but other waxes can also be used. These come in a variety of
colors and when combined with crystal, metal, glass or porcelain candle holders they accentuate your
household décor.

Scented or Aromatherapy Candles

Scented candles are commonly used and are perfect for people who want to spruce up their rooms
with pleasant fragrances. Scented candles come in an array of scents that will overpower the normal
household smells creating a distinctive space full of fragrance. Aromatherapy candles on the contrary offer
specific health related benefits for users. These candles contain essential oil for enhancing both physical and
mental well-being.

Decorative Candles

Some candles are basically made only for decorative purposes coming in varied shapes,
colors and sizes. They may not be scented but their shape and look accentuate your home the look
and style of your home. Decorative candles have complicated but attractive designs and often are
featured with accessories.

Besides these five types of candles there are other types like Soy candles and vegan candles that use plant
based wax, soy wax, natural fragrance and essential oils for consumers who do not want to use animal
products.
THE COLOR MEANING OF THE CANDLES
1. White candles– Destruction of negative energy, peace, truth and purity
2. Purple candles– Spiritual awareness, wisdom, tranquility
3. Lavender Candles– Intuition, Paranormal, Peace, Healing
4. Blue and Deep Blue Candles– Meditation, Healing, Forgiveness, Inspiration,
Fidelity, Happiness, and opening lines of Communication.
5. Green Candles– Money, Fertility, Luck, Abundance, Health (not to be used when
diagnosed with Cancer), Success
6. Rose and Pink Colored Candles– Positive self love, friendship, harmony, joy
7. Yellow Candles– Realizing and manifesting thoughts, confidence, bringing plans
into action, creativity, intelligence, mental clarity, clairvoyance.
8. Orange Candles– Joy, energy, education, strength attraction, stimulation
9. Red or Deep red Candles– Passion, energy, love, lust, relationships, sex, vitality,
courage.
10. Black Candles– Protection, absorption and destruction of negative energy and
also repelling negative energy from others
11. Silver candle– Goddess or feminine energy, remove negativity, psychic
development
12. Gold candle– Male energy, Solar energy, fortune, spiritual attainment.

METHODS OF PRODUCTION OF CANDLES

The discovery of stearin, paraffin wax and braided wicks in the last century were the beginning of the new era of
industrialisation. These last thirty years have been even more prolific in this area than all the previous centuries.
When we look at the ancient engravings of the Middle-Ages, we can notice that almost all the modern methods were
already there at a prototype stage.

From dipping to stretching candles continuously

It was difficult to make nice round candles with a smooth surface with soot. It was done by dipping, one of the oldest
methods for candle making. The wick was plunged repeatedly in liquid wax, in order to obtain the wished diameter. Then
a method to produce several candles at a time was invented. A certain amount of wicks of the same length were
suspended on a wooden beam, then were plunged into a container filled with wax, which itself had most of the time been
melted on a fire in the corner of the workshop. At each dip, the coupled candles thickened about one millimetre.

Nowadays the dipping method is still used, but it has been adapted to entirely automated installations, operated
electronically, in which many wicks are plunged together in a mixture of paraffin, and then removed. The raw material
solidifies, and the task can be repeated until the candle reaches the required thickness.
Another dripping method which is still used in the industry for church candles, and especially for the biggest and largest
altar candles, is the “spoon pouring” method. Liquid wax is poured along the suspended wicks with a spoon, until the taper
candle reaches the wished size.

The idea of thickening a wick in order for it to become a candle by alternatively plunging it in warm liquid wax and
removing it for it to harden brings us to the first stretching lines.

By turning a wooden drum by means of a crank, the wick passed at the bottom of its race in liquefied wax that was in a
copper basin placed between the two drums, and during the top the race, the wax would cool down. The thickness of the
candle could be adjusted thanks to a copper disk that was provided with small holes of lessening diameters. Once the
required diameter obtained, the section of the candle was placed on a long table and cut to the wished lengths.

Pouring

A wick is introduced in a tube shaped mould, which is then filled with liquid wax. Once it has cooled down, a candle can
be removed from it.

From pressing to extruding

The most recent production process is candle pressing. This became possible once paraffin wax became more commonly
used, and once it was possible to transform liquid paraffin wax into powder. Applying great pressure on this powder in the
moulds makes the mass agglomerate, so forming a candle.

The idea of using powder for the bigger candles, pillar candles, only rose in the late sixties.

In spite of all this technology, ancient production methods are still used in Europe and all around the world. Hence,
candles and taper candles are still hand rolled, altar tapers poured in a single mould, relief candles poured in rubber
shapes, and hand painted, tapers decorated with three dimensional accessories, hand painted texts and/or scenes.
THE CANDLE MAKING MATERIALS
The basic materials required to make candles are wax, wicks, color and fragrance, and molds
or containers.

Wax
At one time, most candles were made from beeswax. Beeswax has a wonderful and distinctive
smell and is relatively easy to use. It makes fantastic rustic looking candles as well as more
sophisticated designs. Other candle making substances available include:

 Paraffin: This is the most common type of wax used in candles today. It can be
purchased by the block or in pellet form. Paraffin wax can be hard and suitable for pillar
candles or as a softer wax which is used in container candles. Paraffin wax is easy to heat
and gives a good consistent result.
 Gel: Gel is extremely popular for making candles. The gel is simply melted and then color
and fragrance is added. The translucent nature of gel means that a whole range of objects
can be set within the candle. This gives a different dimension to the candle. Sea scenes
using shells are particularly popular. Many free gel candle making guides can be found
that will help when making these candles.
 Vegetable Wax: Vegetable waxes such as soy are becoming more widely available and
are a good 'vegan' alternative to other waxes. This wax is typically sold in grains that are
melted and poured into molds. This wax is relatively easy to use and has some interesting
characteristics.

Wicks
Literally at the heart of the candle, the wick is what causes the candle to burn. While a wick
may appear to be a simple piece of string in the center of the candle, much research has gone
on into the development of 'new generation' wicks. These wicks have special characteristics
that make the burning of a candle more consistent.Wicks can be purchased either in long
lengths for cutting to the required size later or in precut sizes. Some wicks come pre waxed
which gives them a little more body to stand up in a mold. Precut wicks are normally found in
a few standard sizes - 3 inch, 6 inch and 12 inch. However, these can easily be cut to size if
needed.

Color and Fragrance

One of the joys of making candles is customizing a basic candle by adding color and fragrance.
It is possible to buy specially developed colors and fragrances from candle making materials
stores. These will have been developed to withstand the hot burning temperatures of a candle.

Molds or Containers
A few basic molds or containers are required to make great candles. Molds can be found that
have been developed for candles and these are available in a wide range of sizes and shapes.
Containers are necessary to make container candles. These can be purchased and it is also
possible to recycle containers from used container candles.
Other Essential Equipment
There are a few pieces of essential equipment required to make candles. The most important
of these is a melting pot to heat and melt the wax. It is possible to use items of old kitchen
equipment such as a ban marie. However, purpose built equipment will help to ensure
consistent results.