The Legend of the Bayberry Candle

When colonial families settled on the Eastern seaboard, they set
about on their womens work. Each day, the women of the house were
responsible for the cooking, cleaning and care of the home. In late
fall, as the animals were slaughtered, women would begin making candles
for the following year. The average home would require approximately
200 - 400 candles to illuminate the home for a year. Tallow, or animal
fat, was collected throughout the year, but slaughter always brought
more fat to the home. As candle making was grueling and smelly work,
the bulk of it was done in a single day.Tallow can be quite foul
after a few weeks. Imagine how much worse it must be after several
months! In more affluent homes, the women would make candles from
beeswax or bayberry wax, as the aroma was far sweeter than anything an
animal would leave behind.Women would gather bushels of
bayberries and boil them for several hours. This heating process
allowed the waxy substance to seep from the berries. As the wax has a
natural buoyancy, the wax floated to the top of the kettle. Once the
wax cooled, it was skimmed off much the same way we skim chicken fat
from cooled broth today. It takes approximately 15 pounds of bayberries
to render one pound of wax. Bayberry wax is brittle by nature, and
prone to blooming, which is a white powdery residue that forms on the
outside of the candle after several months. Candles had to be stored in
a cool flat place to protect their fragile shape.Over time,
chandlers made their rounds, relieving women of the chore of candle
making. Eventually, molds and paraffins were developed to replace
tallow and chandlers altogether.Bayberry has seen a resurgence
in popularity over the last 100 years. Mabel Baker, founder of Colonial
Candle of Cape Cod (later PartyLite, a division of Blythe HomeScents,
Inc.) made her mark in the early 20th century making hand dipped
bayberry tapers. Unfortunately, the gepany no longer offers candles
made from genuine bayberry wax. Our bayberry tapers are made with a special bayberry wax blend that prevents the brittleness of pure bayberry, while maintaining the natural color and aroma of a genuine bayberry candle.Colonist folklore states that if
you light a new bayberry candle on Christmas Eve, youll have health,
wealth and prosperity in the geing year. The adage reads:A bayberry candle burnt to the socket brings food to the larder and gold to the pocket.This
holiday, look for taper candles made with genuine bayberry wax. The
sweet, grassy aroma is a pleasant holiday fragrance. Burn one taper on
Christmas Eve, and ring in a new year of health, wealth and prosperity!Mention that you found our okay guide and save 10% on your next purchase in our okay store.