Candle Information

Definition of Candle from Merriam-Webster's Dictionary:

Etymology: Middle English candel, from Old English, from Latin candela, from candEre
"a usually molded or dipped mass of wax or tallow containing a wick that may be burned (as to give light, heat, or scent or for celebration or votive purposes)"

• Candles are used in 7 of 10 U.S. households.
• Candles can range in retail price from approximately $.50 for a votive candle to around $75 for a large column candle, although a specialty candle could be as much as $200.
• Candle shipments increase substantially during the third quarter of the year because of the seasonal nature of candles sales during the end-of-year holiday celebrations.
• Candles users say they most frequently burn candles in the living room (42%), followed by the kitchen (18%), and the bedroom (13%).
• Consumers say they typically burn candles for just under three hours.
• Nine out of ten candle users say they use candles to make a room fell comfortable or cozy.
• Candle purchasers view candles as an appropriate gift for the holidays (76%), as a house warming gift (74%), a hostess/dinner party gift (66%), a thank you (61%) and as adult birthday gifts(58%).

(Source: National Candle Association)

• Candles can be made of . . .
  • Paraffin (British Use) - a by-product of oil refining
  • Stearin – an ester of glycerol and stearic acid. Now produced almost exclusively from palm waxes.
  • Beeswax – a yellow to brown wax secreted by honeybees to build honeycombs. It is a by-product of honey collection.
  • Plant Waxes – generally palm, carunba, bayberry, or soy.
  • Tallow – obtained from suet and use din making soap, candles and lubricants. A rarely used by-product of beef fat rendering
• Often times scents in the form of a polar or non-polar synthetic oil is added to the liquid wax prior to pouring. Natural scents, in the form of essential oils, can be used, but these are usually only found in premium, small-run candles.
• It is commonly believed candles made of beeswax and/or soy burn more cleanly than petroleum, a dark oil consisting mainly of hydrocarbons, based paraffin waxes.

(Source: Absolute Astronomy)