Interesting Facts About Candles

Have you heard of celebrities, the rich and the famous, who simply love scented candles? There was a scene in the “Sky Castle” Korean TV series about an elegant lady reminding someone over the phone to bring candles to remove the smell for her grandiose dinner party. This could be the reason, aside from adding romanticism, for candlelight dinners.

Did you know what type of candle Taylor Swift has in her house in London? It is said to be a soy wax candle that can be found in many of her rooms.

Here are some interesting facts about candles according to the National Candle Association (NCA) website:

1. US average retail sales of candles are estimated at $3.14 billion annually.
2. Votives, candle containers, and pillars are the most saleable candles in the US.
3. According to research, the most important candle buying factors for consumers are the scent, cost, color, and shape.
4. 35% of candle sales are made during the Christmas season.
5. 9 out of 10 candle buyers say they use candles to make their home feel cozy and comfortable.
6. Typically candles are burned for 4 hours per lighting.
7. Both men and women consider candles as acceptable gifts in various occasions.
8. Consumers say that they buy candles as gifts for holidays, house warming, adult birthday gifts, hostess/dinner party gift, and thank you gifts.
9. Most users burn candles mostly in the living room, next is the kitchen, followed by bedroom.
10. 1 in 5 women burns candles to decorate the exterior of their homes such as patio or yard as well as the interiors.
11. The majority of US candle users burn candles within the week of purchase.

Other facts about candles: 

1. Candles were invented around 3000 BC.
2. According to Wikipedia, a chandler was the head of the chandlery in medieval households, responsible for wax, candles, and soap.
3. More than 90% of candle users are women.
4. Candles are used in 7 out of 10 households in the US.
5. A fish called candlefish, also known as eulachon,  is an oily edible fish from the Northern Pacific which was once dried and used as a candle by the Chinook Indians.
6. Catholics have their candles blessed every 2nd of February . to commemorate the Feast of the presentation of Christ in the temple. . This is called Candlemas or Candelaria in some countries
7. Using candles on a birthday cake dates back to the ancient Greece. They put candles on a cake to resemble the moon to the temple of Artemis, the goddess of hunting and wilderness.
8. Ancient Indians used cinnamon for candle making.
9. Early Tibetians used yak butter to make candles.
10. During the middle ages, olive oil which was used to burn oil lamps became scarce, hence, wax candles became the ultimate substitute.
11. Tallow, a wax made from cows or sheep, were widely used by the Europeans during the middle ages.
12. The first standard candles were made from sperm whale fat known as spermaceti.