| In colonial times, candle making was an essential annual | | | | women, this was not an efficient way to make |
| chore in all households. Taper candles were the only | | | | candles. Also, the resulting candles were quite soft, and |
| source of light for people's homes, and there were no | | | | did not keep well in hot weather. |
| commercial candles available as there are today. Each | | | | In the late 1700's, whaling became an important industry |
| household made its own candles, usually once a year. | | | | in the Eastern part of America, and spermaceti (a |
| The average household needed around 400 candles a | | | | waxy substance from the whale's head) was found to |
| year, so this was a huge job. | | | | make much better candles. This wax was harder than |
| Since the candles were made from tallow, or animal | | | | either tallow, beeswax or bayberry wax. The candles |
| fat, this event usually coincided with the autumn | | | | burned longer and brighter, and stood up to summer |
| slaughter of animals for meat. Tallow could be made | | | | heat much better. They were quite expensive, |
| from the fat of all farm animals, but that from sheep | | | | Around the same time, candle makers started to use |
| tallow was the most desirable. Pig tallow had a very | | | | wooden molds to make candles. This important |
| bad smell, and was used by people who couldn't | | | | innovation allowed candles to be made much faster, |
| afford either beef or sheep tallow. | | | | and the candles were uniformly shaped. Some candle |
| The earliest settlers made their candles by the dipping | | | | makers would travel around, taking their molds and |
| method. A wick of cotton was dipped repeatedly into | | | | equipment, and making candles for people. Others set |
| the melted tallow, with time to cool and harden | | | | up a candle making business in one location, and sold |
| between dips. This made a taper candle. These home | | | | their candles. |
| made candles did not burn very well, emitted odors, | | | | In the early 1800's paraffin was first made from coal |
| and the light was poor. | | | | tar, and around 1850, it became commercially viable, |
| Those who could afford beeswax had candles from | | | | when James Young filed a patent to produce it from |
| that wax. These were generally rolled from sheets of | | | | coal, which was extensively mined in the eastern |
| beeswax, and had a sweet honey smell. Beeswax | | | | states. Paraffin was used to make candles of high |
| was not very available, it was expensive, and only the | | | | quality, and along with the new machines that could |
| very rich could afford to use candles made from it as | | | | make 1500 candles an hour, they became inexpensive |
| a daily way of lighting their homes. | | | | and widely available. |
| Some colonists found that they could make a wax | | | | Although they are no longer the major source of light |
| from bayberries, which have a waxy coating. They | | | | for our homes, candles have grown in popularity and |
| boiled the berries, and the wax was skimmed from the | | | | use in recent times. For many of us, candles are lit to |
| top. This was a source of pleasant smelling wax, but | | | | mark celebrations; they symbolize romance, scented |
| there were some drawbacks. Huge numbers of | | | | ones soothe our senses, and decorative candles |
| berries were needed - about 15 pounds of bayberries | | | | accent our homes, where they cast a warm and |
| were needed to make just one pound of bayberry | | | | mysterious glow for us to enjoy. |
| wax! Since time was often at a premium for colonial | | | | |