Sixth Grade
Worksheets
Candle Making
For thousands of years, people relied on candles to light their homes after the sun went down. Today, candles still add a warm glow to religious services and holiday celebrations. They have a place of honor on every birthday cake. Candles light up our lives in many ways.
Candles leave a scented trail throughout history. In ancient Egypt and Rome, candles were made from tallow. Tallow comes from animal fat. Pure tallow has no odor. It is white and tasteless. However, these candles were made from tallow that was not purified. They produced a lot of smoke and smelled horrible!
Candles made from beeswax smelled better. Honey bees secrete beeswax to make their honeycombs. Beeswax candles burned clean and did not produce a smoky flame. During the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church mainly used beeswax candles in churches instead of tallow candles. The clergy did not like the black soot that came from tallow candles because it damaged paintings and religious artifacts. Even though beeswax candles were more pleasant, they were expensive. Only the clergy and the rich upper class could afford them.
