The night of the blackout became less and less, and exquisite craft candles gradually became popular. Light and shadow play in the flickering, xiasi. Candles bring us a different kind of tenderness, perhaps any way of lighting is difficult to replace.

The development of candles

The primitive man's main illumination was a fibre soaked grease torch; gradually, grease, wrapped fibres, and candles were invented independently in many countries. Obviously, the candle lamp and more portable than the torch light, but also can make it totally vertical burning wick.

The raw material for making candles in ancient times was animal fat, and 5000 years ago Egyptians burned reeds into the fat of cattle and sheep, which could be considered as the rudiments of candles. Then the bees wax glands produce abdominal beeswax, extracted from whale oil spermaceti and extracted from palm leaves and other plants in Bayberry wax, quickly replace tallow wax. But at that time, folk lighting was mostly oil lamps. Only the nobility and royalty could make candles, because they were edible, and most of them were very nutritious. People could use it to satisfy their hunger.

The candle really lowered its value in nineteenth Century. Chemists separate paraffin from coal tar, and traders begin to produce paraffin wax candles in large quantities with machines, the most common of our long and slender pewter. Since then, once the "lighting aristocracy" has become less rare. As a means of lighting, the candle ushered in its glorious era. But then came the good times don't last long, light let this Yizhenyihuan light gradually withdrew from the stage of history.

Candle burning

"Wax torch ashes tears", more and more short range wax exactly where to go? When burning wax from solid melting into liquid, produces water and carbon dioxide, and then gradually solidified out. In this from the physical to the chemical and physical changes in the process, the wick plays a key role.

The burning wick around the heating and melting wax after "capillary phenomenon", wax liquid along the wick up as fuel is consumed, the more exposed the wick, continue to supply combustion.

"When a total of the west window candle cut" seems romantic, but in fact it is a very troublesome thing. The first two cotton wick twist can not fully burn, if not promptly cut off the end of the carbonization, the candles may be extinguished. Until 1820, a French invented braided three thread plaited wick. Compared with the two cotton wick into rubbing, three cotton woven wick combustion can be loosened, the end completely burned, eliminating the trouble of snuff.

The special function of candle

Candles replaced by electric lights gradually become a standby item for power outages, but more often they are used for special occasions. At the very beginning of the invention of the candle, it was endowed with a mystery. Early Christians put candles as religious fetish. In the cultures of the East and the west, there is also a custom of burning candles for the dead. Candles lit represent eternal souls.

The birthday party, first make a wish, then blow out the candles, is said to be able to make your dreams come true. This tradition stems from ancient Greece, when the moon goddess birthday, people at the altar dedicated to honey cake, inserted candles lit, compared to the moon shining softly to the human world. This tradition was later used in Greek children's birthday meeting, gradually popular in many countries, are still in use.

"The wedding festivities night, long known as the" candle candle". Candle burning from the end, the couple is said of a couple wishes.

Today, popular craft waxes come in a variety of colors, shapes, and scents. They add pigments, essential oils, and other ingredients to wax. The elegant appearance of the craft candle is set off by flickering candlelight, which slowly gives off a seductive fragrance and creates a warm and romantic atmosphere. Now, all kinds of health-care wax to help people lose weight or quit smoking have also been invented. It seems that the legend of candles is still written and may continue forever.