Colonial Candles - Discover Why and How This Candles Were Made

You may have been to historical parks and seen people take part in colonial candle making. To modern eyes it can seem quaint and unusual. However, colonial candle making was not only a necessary source of light but also essential in binding communities together.

In the colonial era it would be at least two centuries before the invention of electricity and it would be a lot longer before it was installed in the majority of houses in the Western world. In those days it was possible to get through 300 to 500 candles every year.

Working in the day could be hard, especially if there was a harvest to bring in and this often did not leave a lot of time for other activities. This meant work such as fixing clothes had to be done at night. This was why it was necessary to have a ready supply of candles in order to be able to concentrate on difficult work.

Another function of colonial candle making was as an informal social network for women. Families would often group together and help each other produce the candles they needed throughout the year. It was a great way of ensuring everyone helped in their community but it was also a good way of having a chat with each other.

The material they made their candles from was often a good indicator of status. Tallow rendered from animal fat was very common. Just about every bit of animal fat was collected and stored through the year. The fat was initially kept in a barrel where it would at some point transform to rancid. Then in the fall, the tallow was put onto big kettles of hot water where it was skimmed consistently for several days until transparent tallow was produced. This meant that the candles often had a less than pleasant smell while they burned. These also tended to drip more than other candles and burnt out quicker. This probably explains why a lot of poorer people got through more candles.

There were other alternatives as well. Just like today beeswax candles were available. They were more appealing than tallow and lasted longer but were also far more expensive. Bayberry was another option. In some parts of the western country, bayberry bushes grew in great quantity providing considerable amounts of waxy green berries; the colonists realized that this berries could be boiled down the same way as tallow. Harvested by young children this berry made exquisite candles that withstood hot temperatures, burned slowly and provided a pleasant aroma. The colonists shortly started to be main exporters of the latest bayberry candles.

It is possible to try colonial candle making for yourself. Craft shops stock candle wax and most of the times they provide you with a stove and something to mould the wax, so it can be done quite easily. A homemade colonial candle makes a great gift, especially alongside a book showing people how they can make one themselves.

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