The Legend of the Bayberry Candle

Article by: Lisa Robbin

When colonial families settled on the Eastern seaboard, they set about on their "women's work"Â. Each day, the women of the house , Interior Design With A Plasma were responsible for the cooking, cleaning and care of the home. , Interior Design With A Plasma In late fall, , Carpet Cleaning Supplies as the animals were slaughtered, women would begin making candles for the following year. The average home , Carpet Cleaning Supplies would require approximately 200 - 400 candles to illuminate the home , Our Grandfather Clock for a year. Tallow, or animal fat, was collected throughout the year, but slaughter always brought more fat to the home. , Interior Design With A Plasma As candle making was grueling and smelly work, the bulk of it was done in a single day.

Tallow can be quite foul after a few weeks. Imagine how much worse it must be after several months! In more affluent homes, , Scented Pillar Candles – Great For Decorating Any Room Of The the women would make candles from beeswax or bayberry wax, as the aroma was far sweeter than anything an animal would leave behind.

Women would gather bushels of bayberries and boil them for several hours. This heating process allowed the waxy substance to seep from the berries. As the wax has a natural , Duvet Covers Make it Easy to Keep Your Baby Fresh buoyancy, the wax floated to the top of the kettle. Once the wax cooled, it was skimmed off much the same way we skim chicken fat from cooled broth today. It takes approximately 15 pounds of bayberries to render one pound of wax. Bayberry wax is brittle by nature, , Where to Find Cuckoo Clock Parts and prone to "blooming"Â, which is a white , Prepare Roses for Long-Lasting Display powdery residue that forms on the outside , Interior Design – How to use a Colour Wheel of the candle after several months. Candles had to be stored in a cool flat place , Interior Design – How to use a Colour Wheel to protect their fragile shape.

Over time, chandlers made their rounds, relieving women of the chore of candle making. Eventually, molds and paraffins were developed to replace tallow and chandlers altogether.

Bayberry has seen a resurgence in popularity over the last 100 years. Mabel Baker, founder of Colonial Candle of Cape Cod (later PartyLite, a division of Blythe HomeScents, Inc.) made her mark in the early 20th century making hand dipped bayberry tapers. Unfortunately, the company no longer offers candles made from genuine bayberry wax.

Colonist folklore states that if you light , Cuckoo Clocks For Decorating The Walls a new bayberry candle on Christmas Eve, you'll have health, wealth and prosperity in the coming year. The adage reads:

A bayberry candle burnt to the socket brings food , How to Clean Mini Blinds to the larder and gold to the pocket.

This holiday, look for taper candles made with genuine bayberry wax. The sweet, grassy aroma is a pleasant holiday fragrance. Burn one taper on Christmas Eve, and ring in a new year of health, wealth and prosperity!

Lisa Robbin is the Director of Product , Light Therapy for SAD: What Lights to Buy Development for the giving candle, the maker of genuine bayberry tapers and Heavenly Gems resin-based clear candles. Lisa writes articles on all things candle related in an effort to educate consumers about making the most out of their candle purchases.

You can email her directly at lisa@thegivingcandle.com

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