A Look Back At Where The Candle Came From

You see having candles around now is a luxury. If you think back 100 years ago there was no electricity in houses so you couldn't just flip a switch to light up your house, you had to light a candle.

Candles have not always been made of wax either. In the history of candle making crafts they have been known to be dated all the way back to 3,000 B.C and back then candle holders were made out of clay.

There are some that are unaware that ancient Egyptians are said to be the first developers of the candle. Back then though there were no wicks: it was just straw like plant material that was used, that was dipped in animal fat.

There were many different types of fats that they used back then in the candle making crafts, and which one you used was solely based on the amount of money you brought in. If you were in the upper echelon of society (richest) you would use lamb fat for the quality. If you were middle class or poor you would use beef fat or pork fat which left a rancid smell when it burned and developed very thick smoke. As I am sure you have seen in movies from those times, there were guilds and tradesmen. Candle making became a trade that was as popular as a blacksmith or scribe.

It's awesome to think that even back then you could find beeswax. However, beeswax back then was very hard to work with and expensive. Only the most experienced candle makers made them for churches and monasteries.

Another thing from the history of candle making crafts you probably didn't know was that back in the 15th century when candles were being utilized more was when the idea of using candles to light up the streets was invented.

As candle making progressed over the years so did the technology. Entering the 18th and 19th century you would be able to find that this is when candle making really became accelerated. In these era's was when the wick was invented and also a machine that could mass produce candles to be sold cheap in stores.
By creating candles in bulk, it drove down the cost of them so that more families were able to afford them. These candles were virtually smokeless and odorless as well.

By: Scott Steward

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Scott Steward is a candle making enthusiast. For more great information on the history of candle making, visit www.easycandlemaker.com where you can subscribe to a zero cost and a no-catch 10-part course on candle making.