History Lesson In Candle Making

To learn about the history of candles get ready to dive deep into history

. If you look at the history of the world it's only been recently that candles weren't needed for light. Primeval candles that resemble our contemporary candles were invented close to 6,000 years ago! Keep reading for more information about candle making history.

Let's start by breaking down the history of candle making into two time blocks. Block one is pre-electricity. Block two is post- electricity.

Electricity ends up being the time divider for the history of candles because electricity truly changed the point of burning a candle. The purpose of burning candles before electricity was to give light. The purpose was strictly utilitarian. Once electricity was conducted a candle's function was unessential. And so, candles were more for fun, than for necessity.

Let's take a closer look at a candle's role before electricity. For thousands of years candles lit people's way and they were always made of some type of wax. But these functional candles were not all peaches n' cream. Not at all in fact! Candles were first made out of animal fat extracts to make wax. And all through the dark ages these archaic candles burned black smoke and must have smelled awful! Because of the black smoke that burned from these early candles, people's walls within their homes were always covered with thick blackness.

Much later in Colonial America candle making turned to bees wax for production. Bees wax burned purer than the animal fat candles of the past, but still was not ideal. A type of wax was needed that could burn both smokeless and odorless.

This all was leading up to the discovery of electricity in 1752 by Benjamin Franklin. However, it wasn't until Thomas Edison came along over 100 years later that the light bulb was invented to conduct electricity. With these discoveries and technological advancements, electricity had a great purpose; finally homes would be lit without candles.

Unsurprisingly, with the technological advancements of electricity, the candle world was also evolving. Around the same time as all of this new progress, people were inventing more efficient waxes for candle burning. Paraffin was invented at this time. And since that time forth chemical engineers have continued to perfect waxes for candle making.

Today, since candles are not a necessity for seeing in the dark, candle making has become more of a fun hobby. Some people make candles as part of a lucrative business opportunity. But for whatever purpose candles are made, they add beauty and richness to our homes.

by: Jeffrey Jackson

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