The History of Candle Making in the US

When you talk about candle making, you are talking about the main ingredient to making the candle, the wax. Though we use candles as decoration, or on a special occasion, back in Colonial times, candles were used as a source of light. What type of wax did the early settlers use in their candles to light their homes? The most common were: 1) tallow candle-the easiest and the cheapest to make, but the smelliest; 2) Sperm whale oil candles; 3) Beeswax; and 4) Paraffin. Did the candle go to the wayside? Yes, and no. I’ll discuss the different “wax” that was used during the years, and where candles are in today’s lifestyle.

The tallow candle was a cheap way to have lighting, because it's wax was rendered from the tallow of animals. Moreover, even when other candle making alternatives became available, the poor still utilized them. In some cases, when the poor could not even avail themselves of the tallow candle, they would make a "tallow dip". A tallow dip consisted of a strip of burning cloth in a saucer of tallow grease.

The bayberry candle was the most popular among the colonist. Why? Because the candle left off a "perfume like incense" and did not have the foul smell of the tallow candle. However, the beginning to end process was tedious.

First, they had to collect the bayberries in the late fall. Since this was the colonial times, it was not like you could go to the nearest store, or even find these berries in your back yard. The colonist had to search for these berries along the mouth of rivers, the sea, the bays, and swamps.

Then, shortly before the New Year the colonial women would boil the grayish green berries down to produce a sweet-smelling, transparent wax, that produced a candle that burn clean. However, to make one 8-inch taper it would take one and a half quarts of bayberries (Just to get one pound of wax, it would take fifteen founds of boiled bayberries). Thus, you can understand how fortunate and rich they felt if they had two 8-inch tapers in their home.

The newly made bayberry candle not only provided consistent, smoke-free lighting for the family, it also represented the hope for continued good health and well-being.

In the late 18th century, with the growth of the whaling industry, people began to use the blubber of sperm whales and other whales to produce large quantities of wax. It was found that the spermaceti wax would not soften or bend in the summer, nor did it emit a repugnant odor when burned. Thus, wax made from sperm whale oil offered a quality candle. Spermaceti wax offered people the first "standard" candle. However, spermaceti wax was very expensive for the low income family, and thus, it was more common to see this type of candle in the homes wealthy individuals.

It was not until the end of the 1800's when the use of blubber from sperm whales began to decline. In its place, people began to light their homes from mineral oils and gas.

Beeswax is made from the nectar of flowers, which is produced by the honeybee. The color of the wax will be white or yellow depending upon where the bees collect the nectar. Beeswax burns very slowly and has a sweet smell. However, because beeswax was so expensive, few individuals, other than the wealthy could afford to burn them in their home. In many cases, beeswax candles were used for church ceremonies.

In the mid-1800s, chemists learned how to separate the waxy substance from petroleum and coal shales and refine it to make a wax. Paraffin wax, as it was called, was both economical to produce and burned cleanly with no unpleasant odor. However, paraffin's low melting point did cause an immediate threat to fire. This problem was resolved with the discovery of stearic acid. Stearic acid was hard and durable, and when combined with paraffin made a reliable, and saver candle to burn.

You would think that with the lighting issue resolved, candles would go to the wayside. In fact, that is far from the truth. Not only did popularity increase, but also new candle waxes were developed and the tradition of candle making found its way into the US again.

In the 1980's candles popularity began to grow, not as a necessary "light source", but for decoration, to add a mood-setting fragrance to a room or evening and for gifts. Moreover, candles began to be developed in a broad array of sizes, shapes, colors and scents.

By the time, the 1990's rolled around, new types of candle waxes began to be developed:

• Soy candle wax- A soft, slower burning wax than paraffin

• Palm candle wax

• Gel candle wax-from a petroleum derivative.

In addition, many cottage-style operations began to grow, making a profitable home-based business. People would make candles in their kitchen and sell them at craft fairs, in gift shops and on the internet.

As you can see, candles and its materials have evolved. Moreover, the candle has not died because of our access to modern technology. In fact, it has been reinvented for purposes of décor, mood setting and special events. Personally, I am glad the candle exists to this day. Every day, when I pass my cabinet, I get the hint of the pleasant smell of my vanilla and blueberry candles. It’s a warming, pleasant smell that greets both my family and visitors in my home.