Candle Tips
First light is imortant
The first time you light a candle, you should let it burn long enough. The whole top layer of wax has to become liquid and that can take hours depending on the candle.
Your candle will not burn evenly if you don’t do this.
No Smoking !
If a candle is smoking, it means the wick is too long.
To sort this, when it is next cool, simply trim the wick to about 5mm long.
Old Wives Tale
Freezing a candle won’t make it last longer !
People say that freezing a candle before lighting it will make it last longer. Sorry…not true. Freezing a candle actually cracks the wax and will damage the candle.
The answer is not Blowing in the Wind
The best way to put out a candle is to use a candle snuffer. If you don’t own such a thing, then using a cocktail stick, push the wick into the wax then stand the wick upright. Once cool, you can trim the wick before lighting it again.
Blowing out your candle produces soot and smoke and might send droplets of hot liquid wax into the surrounding area.
Candle Facts
Cows Insects and Whales !
Tallow (a byproduct of beef fat) was popular in Europe in the Middle Ages to make candles.
Candles have also been made out of wax made out of insects and seeds. It was even made of spermaceti from sperm whales and various plants.
There’s more ..
Candles have even been made out of the fish itself !
Yep, it is called a Eulachon or “candlefish”. This fish has such a high-fat content that it has been used as a candle.
Your friend, the Chandler
A candlemaker is known as a chandler. It originates from comes from the French word “chandelier”.
Before electricity, a “chandelier” was a ceiling fitting made of several candles to light up your room.
It’s a Greek thing.
Putting candles on cakes is a tradition going back to ancient Greece. The ancient Greeks would bring a cake decorated with candles. It represented the glowing moon, to the temple of Artemis, the Goddess of the hunt and the moon.
It only became a birthday tradition from the 1700’s as every candle represented each passing year.