Scented Candle Day – November 1, 2023

History of Scented Candle Day

Candles have been around for thousands of years. There is no exact date to pinpoint the origin of candlemaking, but there is documentation of different civilizations creating candles for more than 5,000 years. The ancient Egyptians are documented to make candles in 3000 B.C. from a combination of animal fat and reeds. The reed wasn’t like the wick we use today, but they used animal fat as the wax we use today. In around 500 B.C., the Romans made candles by dipping rolled papyrus made from the papyrus plant’s pith, and repeatedly melted the tallow (made from melted beef or mutton fat) or beeswax to form the first candlewick.

Evidence shows that around the world, other civilizations also used wicked candles. The Chinese made wicks from rolled rice paper, and their wax was made from a combination of insects and seeds or whale fat. The Japanese are said to make their candles from wax extracted from tree nuts, and in India, people made wax by boiling the fruit of the cinnamon tree. These were probably the first scented candles as they gave off a pleasant smell when burned.

Candles lost their popularity as essentially an illuminating material with the invention of the light bulb in 1879. Candles then became a decorative item, and first scented candles became available. By the mid-1980s, candles were established as a great mood enhancer, gifts, and decorative items.