Candles - I'm More Than Just A Flicker

Article by: Michael Russell

We use them as props for an intimate dinner. We use them to change , Decorating Ideas to Make Your Living Room more Livable the odor of a room. , Finding the Right Home Furnishing Store And, of course we use them when the lights , How to Choose Discount Wood Blinds go out, but how much do we know about the candle; a great source of energy , Relive Your Favorite Vacation with Hotel Bedding! that got left behind once electricity , Bamboo Fences took over. The word candle comes from the Latin word, candere, which means to shine. The Ancient Egyptians have been given credit for creating the first candle, their version was called the rushlight, or the more common name, the torch. The strange thing about the torch was that it had no wick. It was the Romans that were credited with developing the first wick candle.

As the middle ages came around, so did another form of candle, this type of candle was made with beeswax. Beeswax is just as it sounds, it is a substance made by honey bees to make their honeycombs. Beeswax candles were a great improvement , Saving Money with Kitchen Cabinet Refacing over earlier forms of candles; they did not have a smoky flame, and when they burned, they didn't give off a bitter odor. After the middle ages, the whale got involved. Yes, the whale actually contributed to candle history. Apparently, in the late 18th century, they found a way to crystallize sperm whale oil. The name given to this wax was spermaceti. Spermaceti did not give off a bitter odor and was proven to be harder then beeswax. It is believed that the first standard candles were made from spermaceti wax. The American Colonial women also tried their hand at making candles. They created a sweet smelling, clean burning wax, by boiling the grayish green , Decorating on a Budget - 15 Easy Steps berries of a bayberry bush. The problem was, trying to extract the wax from the bayberries was extremely hard. Needless to say, the bayberry wax had a very short life.

The 19th century brought about major advancements in the production of candle making. In 1834, Joseph Morgan invented a machine that could produce molded candles. In 1850 a new kind of wax was introduced, it was called paraffin. This was created by distilling the left over residue of crude petroleum oil being refined. The greatness of paraffin was found in its costs. Paraffin was cheaper to produce then those candle fuels that came before it, but on the down side, paraffin had a very low melting point, but this problem became null and void with the creation and production of stearic acid. Around this time in history, most candles consisted of paraffin and stearic acid.

As they say, "all good things must come to an end", and that appeared to be the case for candles. In 1879 the light , Create a Jewel Box of a Powder Room with Venetian Plasters bulb was introduced as another form of light. , Create a Jewel Box of a Powder Room with Venetian Plasters Who wouldn't want the light , Discounted Leather Club Chairs-Excellent Choice for Any Room in Your House bulb? It was easy to use, there was nothing to re-light, there was no worry about a wick burning out. The light , Resourceful Redecorating - Budget Friendly Home Decorating bulb was the perfect next step in the evolution of humankind on earth. , Decorating on a Budget - 15 Easy Steps But, just because the light , Cuckoo Clocks For Decorating The Walls bulb came, didn't mean all the candles went into the garbage. Candles were still very useful, first and foremost, for those people that couldn't afford electricity. , Colour Selection Also, the early electrical system was crude in its delivery, so quite often, mother nature , How to Take Care of Your Teak Furniture could and did shut it down. So even those people with electricity , A Guide to Wood Stove Inserts held onto their candles, as a precaution for the weather. , Vinyl Shutters or Wooden Shutters are Ideal for Hurricane Protection

Even though candles are no longer used for a primary source of light; their identity has been redefined, and along with that, a regrowth in the popularity of candles. Candles are now used more in terms of celebration, ceremonial, and religious occasions.

Michael Russell - EzineArticles Expert Author

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Candles

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