Candles have been around for thousands of years and have played an essential role in human history. From providing light before electricity to being used in religious ceremonies, candles have a fascinating past. But did you know that candles also have some surprising and fun facts? Join us as we explore some exciting candle facts for kids that will light up your world!
Let’s begin!
Candle Facts for Kids: 1-7
1. A candle is a stick made of wax with a string in the middle. When the string is lit on fire, the flame burns slowly and for a long time.
2. This is because the fire melts the wax, not the string. Sometimes the melted wax drips down the side of the candle and hardens again far from the flame, so it can be used to make a new candle.
3. The Romans used candles made of animal fat to celebrate the goddess Artemis’ birthday. The word “candle” comes from Latin and Middle English, meaning “to shine.”
4. Candles made from whale fat were first made in China over 2000 years ago! But today, we can use paraffin wax to make cheap, high-quality candles.
5. People used to decorate with jar candles, and it’s best to let a new candle burn for at least an hour to let the top layer of wax melt.
6. Did you know that candle wax can come from cow fat or beeswax? And during times of famine, people used to steal and even eat candles!
7. Be careful not to blow out a candle because it can create smoke and soot, and hot wax droplets might fly out.
Candle Facts for Kids: 8-14
8. Unfortunately, it’s not true that freezing a candle and lighting it will make it burn for longer. In fact, freezing a candle causes the wax to break and damages the candle, so it’s best to avoid freezing them.
9. Poland is the top producer of candles in the European Union, making up 38% of the EU’s total candle output, which is worth €619 million.
10. If your candle produces smoke, it might have a too-long wick.
11. Candles that only light by melting the wax around the wick can leave a hard wax ring around the perimeter, which is called “tunneling.”
12. Be careful when lighting scented candles at the dinner table, as the smell can affect how things taste.
13. Eulachon, also known as “candlefish,” can be used to make candles because it is very fatty.
14. NASA scientists have discovered that in microgravity conditions like those in space stations, flames are round.
Candle Facts for Kids: 15-21
15. Before electricity was widely available, people used chandeliers to hang candles from the ceiling for light.
16. Ancient Greeks used to offer cakes with candles on top at the Temple of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt and the moon.
17. There are two ways to make candles dripless: using a thicker wick that absorbs liquid wax or making a thin candle from soft wax.
18. A person who makes or sells candles is called a chandler.
19. Did you know that blowing out candles on a cake can triple the number of germs on it?
20. Before clocks, people used candle clocks to mark time by pushing a nail into the desired spot, which clattered on the metal holder to set an alarm.
21. Candle flames can contain millions of tiny diamonds!
Candle Facts for Kids: 22-28
22. Submarines and space stations have backup candles that they can burn if their electronic oxygen-producing systems fail.
23. Skenderbeg used goats with candles on their horns to light the way into the mountains as the Ottoman Empire attacked his town in 1450.
24. The bones of humans, decomposed into primarily fat deposits, from the relocation of Paris’s Cemetery of the Innocents were used to make candles.
25. Candles have a “memory”; if they are not allowed to burn to the edge of their container, they form a “memory ring” and won’t melt past that point, resulting in a tunneling effect.
26. A candle flame typically burns at around 1000°C to 1400°C, while lava on the earth‘s surface is about 1200°C.
27. The world record for the tallest candle is held by a 24.38-meter-high candle on display at the Stockholm Exhibition in 1897, which reached a towering height of 38.7 meters when including its base.
28. The average British shopper buys six candles a year, with over a third buying them for relaxation and two-fifths to make their homes smell nicer. Mother’s Day is the most popular time to purchase candles, followed by the festive season.
Candle Facts for Kids: 29-35
29. Cinnamon-scented wax candles, the first of their kind, originated in India.
30. Statistics suggest that women are the primary consumers of candles.
31. A survey of the candle industry found that candles with variations in size, color, scent, and price tend to perform better. The fragrance of a candle heavily influences its sales.
32. Over 90% of candle owners claim that they light candles to create a relaxing ambiance.
33. People continue to create large candles. The Peace Candle of the World was constructed in Oregon in 1971, outside the Brock Candles factory.
34. It was made by covering an agricultural silo with 20 tons of red wax and inserting a wick down the center, measuring 15 meters tall.
35. Despite the factory burning down in 1990, the candle bizarrely survived.
Bonus fact: when the candle was officially “opened” by the mayor, he used a 60-foot match.