Guides / Candle history and craft
A short history of candles
From rushlights dipped in animal fat to whale-oil candles, paraffin and modern soy wax, here is how candles went from a daily necessity to a small luxury for mood and scent.
Light before electricity
For most of human history, darkness arrived at sunset. Fires, oil lamps and candles were the only ways to extend the day. Candles were valued because they were portable, relatively clean and easy to store.
Early lighting in many places used rushlights: the pith of rush plants soaked in animal fat. These gave a small, smoky light but were cheap to make at home.
Ancient candles
Historians credit several ancient cultures with early candles:
- Romans made candles by dipping rolled papyrus or other fibers repeatedly in melted tallow (animal fat) or beeswax.
- In China, early candles are thought to have used materials such as whale fat and later insect wax.
- In Japan, wax extracted from tree nuts was used to make candles.
- In India, wax from boiled cinnamon fruit is mentioned in some histories.
Details from such early periods are often uncertain, but the basic idea, a wick surrounded by a fuel that melts and burns, appeared in many places.
Tallow and beeswax
For centuries in Europe, most household candles were made of tallow, usually from beef or mutton fat. Tallow candles were affordable but smoky, smelled unpleasant and needed constant wick trimming.
Beeswax candles burned cleaner and brighter with a pleasant honey scent, but they were expensive. They were used mainly by wealthy households and important institutions. See wax types.
Candle making became a recognized trade. Professional candle makers, known as chandlers, formed guilds in European cities during the Middle Ages.
Whales, chemistry and machines
The 18th and 19th centuries transformed candle making:
| Period | Development |
|---|---|
| 1700s | Spermaceti, a waxy substance from sperm whales, made bright, hard candles that did not soften in summer heat |
| Early 1800s | Chemists learned to separate fatty acids from fats, leading to stearin, a harder, cleaner-burning material |
| 1820s | Braided wicks were introduced. They curl as they burn, so the tip trims itself in the flame |
| 1830s | Candle-molding machines allowed continuous, mass production |
| 1850s | Paraffin wax, refined from petroleum, became available. It was cheap, burned cleanly and quickly became the dominant candle wax |
The arrival of electric light
Kerosene lamps in the mid 1800s and then the electric light bulb in the late 1800s made candles less essential. Over the 20th century, candles shifted from a necessity to a decorative item used for dinners, celebrations, emergencies and atmosphere.
The modern candle
In the late 20th century, scented candles became a major home fragrance product. New waxes appeared:
- Soy wax, introduced in the 1990s, offered a plant-based option with a creamy look and good scent throw.
- Coconut, rapeseed and blended waxes followed.
- Gel candles and decorative pillars became popular for display.
Today, candles are mostly about mood, scent and self-care. The flame that once meant survival is now a small ritual at the end of the day. See how candles are made.
Words that came from candles
- "Burning the candle at both ends" means working or living so hard you exhaust yourself.
- "Can't hold a candle to" means not nearly as good as something else; it comes from the idea of someone not even fit to hold a light for another person.
- "Candlepower" was an old unit of light intensity.
Braided wicks were a big leap in convenience. Before them, people had to trim candle wicks constantly with special scissors called snuffers. See wicks explained.
