22 Amazing Candle Facts That Will Brighten Up Your Day!

Anamika Balouria
Jan 09, 2023 By Anamika Balouria
Originally Published on Feb 09, 2022
Edited by Kelly Quinn
Fact-checked by Gowri Rao
22 Amazing Candle Facts That Will Brighten Up Your Day!
?
Age: 3-18
Read time: 7.1 Min

Candle wax is a mixture of various fats or oils that are combined with a wick to hold the candle.

After paraffin wax was created, it became extremely popular for candle making compared to other components, because of its lower price. It's even used in scented candles nowadays.

A wide range of fragrances can be used to give the candle a pleasant smell. Polyethylene wicks are very popular in taper candles, pillar candles, and votive candles. They are also found in container candles because of their ability to provide an excellent scented experience, especially with highly fragranced waxes. Although they're easy to use, the candle maker must ensure that the candle wick size is appropriate for the wax type being used. The other key factor when it comes to burning a candle with this kind of wicking material is ensuring that it has enough flame to keep its inner core properly lit. Candles in every form have been used by people for over 5,000 years and were the main source of light to light up the dark places in celebrations and religious places. It's believed that the oldest candles that were in use were by the Ancient Egyptians and were made from animal fat with a wick in the inner core.

A candle flame is what you see with a burning wick fixed in the candle wax. Wick melts down the hard outer wax or hard wax. The price of candles in the 1800s also depended on whether you were purchasing them to use at home or for commercial purposes. For example, the price of one stick of tallow candle was around half the price of beeswax candles. Wax is a byproduct of candles that is obtained from the candle. The wax is later used to make scented candles and other related products. First, you need to remove the wick by cutting it off close to the bottom of the jar. Then pour hot water into the jar slowly until all the wax is melted. The remaining wax can be scraped off with a butter knife or spoon for easy removal. Repeat this process until all of the wax is removed. Another idea is to reheat the jar and pour out the water, then scrape off the remaining wax with a butter knife or spoon.

History And Origin Of Candle

In ancient times, people burned wicks in oil lamps with a liquid-filled container. True dipped candles were first produced from tallow by the Romans in around 500 BC.

  • The Romans appeared to find some commercial advantage in candles and used them for their lanterns. Natural fats, wax, and tallow were used to create ancient European candles. Beeswax was too expensive in Ancient Rome, so tallow candles were produced. The original Greek term refers to a variety of objects, but the words are vague and it's difficult to tell.
  • Around 200 BC, Chinese people began creating candles made of whale fat. This was evident in Han China. Tallow candles were formerly the most popular kind.
  • Candle-making was a trade in France and England by the 13th century. Beeswax candle flame burnt clean, without hazy smoky flames, when juxtaposed to the first candles made of tallow, which was made of animal fat such as whales candles.
  • Beeswax candles were costly, and therefore only a few individuals in the Middle Ages of Europe could manage to light candles in their personal residences. Beeswax candles were, nonetheless, commonly used in religious services such as ceremonies of the church where candles became essential.
  • In the mid-19th century, candle manufacturing became a major market.
  • A pewterer, Joseph Morgan, who was from Manchester, England, developed a technology that changed the way candles were made in 1834. It used a canister with a rotating cylinder to expel sculpted candles as they hardened, allowing for the manufacturing of sculpted candles. Using a highly economical robotic method, around 1,500 candles were made each hour.
  • James Young, from Bathgate, West Lothian, excelled in extracting paraffin wax from oil and coal shale deposits in the mid-19th century. It created a mass-produced manufacturing technique.
  • Paraffin can manufacture high-quality, low-cost candles.
  • Price's Candles, centered in London, became the largest global candle maker at the end of the 19th century. The firm was established in 1830 by William Wilson, and it was the first to use steam distillation.

Parts And Types Of Candle

The main ingredient is wax, which is usually made from paraffin. Let's explore some other interesting candle facts:

  • Paraffin can be found in petroleum products. For example, gasoline, crude oil and kerosene are types of paraffin. To make candles that burn more evenly, manufacturers add stearic acid to the wax mixture at different levels according to how quickly they want the candle to burn. Higher levels of stearic acid produce a slower burning rate while lower levels produce a faster burning rate.
  • Manufacturers also add colorants and often scent the candles with essential oils since scented candles smell better than unscented ones. The wick can be made from various materials such as cotton, paper, or silk.
  • The most commonly used candles for magical purposes include the white candle, which symbolizes purity, spirituality, and connection with God. Another popular candle is the red candle, representing prosperity, success, and love, and the pink candle represents honor, peace, and happiness. Pink candles are often used in spells to help reduce stress or when you want to resolve a conflict peacefully, dark blue candle symbolizes justice, spirituality, and wisdom.
  • The three primary types of candles on the basis of their ingredients are tallow candles, beeswax candles, and paraffin candles. Paraffin candles are a type of tallow candle so it's a stearin-based candle.
  • Paraffin is a non-renewable petroleum by-product and beeswax candles are made from the wax of beehives. Beeswax burns hotter than paraffin but lower than tallow hence it has to be kept out in a safe and dry place and requires frequent trimming so that it will not burn down too rapidly.
Who doesn't like candles on their birthday cake!

Uses Of Candles

Before the invention of electric lighting and kerosene lamps, candles were a common source of light, and are now used as a decorative element or to provide light during a power outage.

  • Some churches continue to use candles as part of their religious ceremonies. In some cultures, it is common to burn candles as an offering. Also, some denominations of the Christian Church use votive candles to signify the individual church member's prayer requests. This often takes place during a service in front of the whole congregation, where each person holds their lit candle until the end of the service.
  • Jar candle was used for decoration.
  • The pastor may also blow out each candle after saying the prayer, to signify the "death" of that prayer request.
  • Some funeral homes use candles to provide light for families during an open-casket viewing, especially if the body is being viewed at night or in a room without windows.
  • There are also environmental organizations whose members will go out into natural areas and plant rows of small candles or place many candles in areas where wildfires might occur. These are intended to show that they care, and as a reminder not to cause such disasters.

How to make DIY essential oil candle?

Discover how to make an oil candle by taking these steps:

  • The ingredients that you need to make an oil candle are one 4 oz (118 ml) metal or glass container, candle wicks (cotton or wood), two cups pure soy wax flakes, saucepan, old aluminum can for melting wax, 2 teaspoons essential oil of your choice, old kitchen thermometer, clothespin or chopsticks to hold the candle wicks.
  • Fill an old aluminum container halfway with soy wax flakes. Add the hot liquid wax according to the soy wax. Put a whole container containing soy wax in the center of a saucepan half-filled with hot water. Heat the water until the soy wax has fully melted. Put the cooking temperature gauge in the hot liquid wax after removing the container. Keep a timely note of the temperature until the candle wax cools down.
  • Stir in the essential oils until they are well combined. Put the wick of cotton into the center of the jar and hold the wick within the jar with a clothespin or tweezers. Put the soy wax further in the container and let it cool down to avoid wax crack in the candle. Finally, when the candle wax cools down, it is ready to be used and the candle flame lit can be enjoyed to lighten up the room.

We Want Your Photos!
We Want Your Photos!

We Want Your Photos!

Do you have a photo you are happy to share that would improve this article?
Email your photos

More for You

Sources

https://fraendi.com/blogs/blog/15-candle-facts-you-didnt-know-about

https://www.buzzfeed.com/amphtml/natalyalobanova/things-you-didnt-know-about-candles

https://www.redemptioncandlecompany.com/blogs/news/10-candle-facts-you-probably-didnt-know-about

https://www.aubreybay.co.uk/best-candle-facts/

https://dexterandmason.com/2020/05/13/11-random-facts-about-candles/

See All

Written by Anamika Balouria

Bachelor of Arts specializing in English, Bachelor of Education specializing in Secondary Education and Teaching, Master of Arts specializing in English

Anamika Balouria picture

Anamika BalouriaBachelor of Arts specializing in English, Bachelor of Education specializing in Secondary Education and Teaching, Master of Arts specializing in English

A dedicated and enthusiastic learner, Anamika is committed to the growth and development of her team and organization. She holds undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in English from Daulat Ram University and Indira Gandhi Institute for Open Learning respectively, as well as a Bachelor of Education from Amity University, Noida. Anamika is a skilled writer and editor with a passion for continual learning and development.
Read full bio >