We all know that a person who bakes well is called a ‘Baker’, a person who cooks well is known as a ‘Chef’, but do you know what a person who makes candles is known as? I am sure you don’t!
A person who makes candles is known as a ‘Chandler’. The word chandler is derived from the French term ‘Chandelier’. Before the introduction of electricity, Chandelier was a ceiling fitting with several candles which were used to light up rooms. Also, the term for candle maker was derived from here.
The Journey Begins
Just like a candle maker, the journey of candle making is also fascinating, and many great thinkers have contributed to it. The candles have evolved from a piece of wax, as a source of light to a piece of Luxury as a source of fragrance.
The emergence of ‘Candles’, dates back to the era of Ancient Rome. In 500 BC Romans created the first candle using tallow wax, a kind of wax that comes from animal fat. Although candles were popular in Roman, the primary source of light were oil lamps. As olive oil was cheaper, candles were considered as a luxury item back then. They were often used as gifts on Saturnalia, a festival celebrating the classical Roman God, Saturn. After the fall of the Roman empire, olive oil became a scarce commodity across Europe, leading to a shortage of fuel for oil lamps and burners. Moreover, this led to the making of candles on a commercial scale.
Different varieties of wax and candles making their way
Tallow was a to-go ingredient, but it used to give an unpleasant fragrance. Hence, ‘Beeswax’ was discovered and was found better than tallow, but it was expensive. After Beeswax, in 18th century, as the global whaling industry began to grow, oil was discovered in the head of the sperm whale which proved ideal in mass candle making. In the 1850s, pioneering chemist James Young successfully distilled paraffin from coal and oil shales. Paraffin wax was used for massive production of candles that were inexpensive and offered high quality.
Despite huge leap forward in candle making, the industry began declining rapidly after the invention of light bulbs. People no longer needed them as a source of light but as a luxury item. Nevertheless, thanks to the emergence of various kinds of wax such as micro, Beeswax, soy and more, which are used for wax artworks and in fragrance candles.
Today we have so many varieties of candles such as scented jar candles, picture candles, tea lights which make them one of the best gift items in the world. We have top brands of candle companies like Yankee, Bed Bath & Beyond, LAFCO, Homesick and more. Sources like business fashion in 2018 have also mentioned in their articles about how brands like Louis Vuitton has entered this category by offering $185 ceramic candles with leather handles.
Recently, my visit to Hershey’s Chocolate World, Pennsylvania, amazed me with the variety of chocolate fragrance candles they were offering. It seems all the brands in the world are opening their arms to the production of candles. Be it chocolate industry or any fashion brand.
In a nutshell, candles have evolved over a period of time and as William Arthur has rightly said, “The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change and the realists adjust the sails”.
I think the chandlers and candle industry has actually taken this saying seriously and adjusted their sail with time. Candles are no longer needed just as a source of light; the industry has itself transformed it into a luxury good.
