what are bayberry candles

Full Answer

What does bayberry smell like?

When crumpled in one's hand, bayberry leaves and its bark produce a pleasant, balsamic aroma. However, they have a very bitter, astringent taste. The small berries are in globular clusters at stem junctions, crusted with a greenish-white waxy substance sprinkled with small black flecks. What does Bayberry smell like?

Why do unscented candles burn faster than scented candles?

Unscented candles burn more quickly than scented candles. Candles are a convenient way of providing light and heat when no electricity is available. They are normally made from paraffin wax with a wick in the middle. Candles can also be made from soy wax or other plant wax, animal fat or bee wax. Wax acts as a fuel to keep the candle burning.

What is the tradition of burning bayberry candles?

To have a bayberry candle was a luxury to be saved and relished. It became the tradition to burn your bayberry candle on Christmas or New Years eve to bring blessings of abundance in the coming year. It is not known who actually came up with the traditional bayberry candle poem. But the tradition continues to this day. Click to see full answer.

Do scented candles burn faster than regular candles?

Scented candles in fact can burn faster than unscented candles which are typically down to the fact most scented candles are made with paraffin wax, but this can also be influenced by the candle manufacturers design and wick size.

What is a bayberry candle?

Where were bayberry candles made?

How to get bayberry scent in candles?

Why do people burn bayberry tapers?

What is the name of the shrub that makes candles?

Why do candles burn to the core?

Do you burn bayberry candles on Christmas?

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What is the significance of a bayberry candle?

If you want to ensure good luck in the coming year, you may want to burn a bayberry candle. The olive green colored, strongly scented candle is thought to bring good luck to your home when burned around the holidays. It's a popular tradition in areas including the coal regions.

Why do people burn bayberry candles on Christmas?

These Bayberry tapers were a real treasure to the colonists who saved them for special occasions - it was a luxury to be saved and relished. Soon, it became tradition to burn your candles on Christmas or New Years Eve to bring blessings of abundance in the upcoming year.

Why are bayberry candles so expensive?

Natural plant oils were also added to the beeswax to give off a more pleasant fragrance and so these candles were more expensive to make than the tallow candles.

What is the legend of the bayberry candle?

What is the Bayberry Candle Tradition? Legend has it the burning of bayberry candles during the Yuletide Season would bring wealth and good luck throughout the New Year.

What color candles burn on New Years Eve?

Also, make sure to light up a white candle and let it burn out in New Year's Eve for good fortune.

Why do we light candles on Christmas Eve?

By lighting candles during Christmas eve, this represents the Star of Bethlehem that guided the Magi to the manger where baby Jesus was born. Another set of Christians consider Jesus as the “light of the world,“ and they light candles during Christmas to celebrate the birth of the “light of the world;” Jesus.

How long do bayberry candles burn?

8 to 9 hoursAccording to tradition The candle should be lit in the evening, when you see the first star appear in the sky. You should not extinguish the candle yourself (bad luck!); it should burn until after midnight down to the nub and go out on its own. For this reason, you should choose candles with 8 to 9 hours burn time.

What are bayberry candles made of?

Long lasting bayberry candles are hand-dipped in the 18th-century manner and made from the wax on the berries of the bayberry shrub. Even burning, high quality bayberry candle has minimal drips. Sold as a pair, each is 10". Our bayberry candles are beeswax based with 100% cotton wicks.

What can you do with bayberries?

The root bark and berries are used to make medicine. Despite safety concerns, bayberry is used for colds, diarrhea, nausea, skin wounds, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses. In manufacturing, the wax extract taken from the berries is used in fragrances and candles.

Is bayberry a Christmas scent?

You see bayberry is a native North American shrub, one that didn't cross the Atlantic Ocean until well into the 17th century. So the origins of the association between Christmas and bayberry only go back to our nation's colonial period, where it was considered good luck to light a new bayberry candle on Christmas Eve.

What does bayberry smell like?

Bayberry is also delightfully fragrant, but only up close. You can't find bayberry by following the fragrance to its source as you might a rose, wild grapes or even witch hazel. You must crush one of its berries in your fingers or rub one of its leaves under your nose to appreciate its peppery scent.

How do you make bayberry wax?

The basic breakdown is, pick lots of bayberries, boil them in water, filter it through cheesecloth, allow the mixture to cool so the bayberry wax separates and hardens. Then melt it with some beeswax to make bayberry taper candles.

When should you burn a bayberry candle?

According to tradition The candle should be lit in the evening, when you see the first star appear in the sky. You should not extinguish the candle yourself (bad luck!); it should burn until after midnight down to the nub and go out on its own. For this reason, you should choose candles with 8 to 9 hours burn time.

Can you burn a bayberry candle anytime?

You can work with bayberry at any time of the year, not just around the winter solstice.

Is bayberry a Christmas?

You see bayberry is a native North American shrub, one that didn't cross the Atlantic Ocean until well into the 17th century. So the origins of the association between Christmas and bayberry only go back to our nation's colonial period, where it was considered good luck to light a new bayberry candle on Christmas Eve.

What do bayberry candles smell like?

Common descriptions of the fragrance of bayberry candles include: Slightly bitter. Having sweet berry overtones. Woodsy.

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What does burning a bayberry candle mean?

The wax was believed to have medicinal uses, and honor ing someone by burning a bayberry candle had a special meaning, perhaps creating a closer partnership and therefore better dealings!

Why do people burn bayberry candles?

The berry-type fruit is crusted with a greenish-white wax, settlers found that boiling the fruit created a wax residue on the surface of the water . The wax had a fragrant aroma and burned magnificently. Many berries had to be boiled to get enough wax to make a candle, these candles burned longer, cleaner, and brighter than did the traditional candles of the time. Therefore, bayberry candles were saved and burned on special occasions only! One such special occasion was the celebration of the New Year.

How wide are Williamsburg Bayberry taper candles?

The Original Williamsburg Bayberry Scented Taper Candles are 7/8" of wide at the base. This means that they are just a tiny bit (1/8") smaller than an inch at the widest point of the base. This is considered a "Standard" base and will fit a vast majority of candle holders. They are 10" (ten inches) tall.

Do bayberry candles burn on special occasions?

Therefore, bayberry candles were saved and burned on special occasions only! One such special occasion was the celebration of the New Year. Over the years, the burning of bayberry candles on New Year's became a tradition, creating a saying by who, no one knows, yet the tradition continues today:

What color are bayberry candles?

Bayberry candles are usually olive green in color and have a nice scent that permeates the house. Bayberry candles have been in North America since Colonial times. This is likely why they were chosen, as they were a special treat during the holiday season. May this legend come true for you.

How long should a bayberry candle be before lighting?

On Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, a tapered bayberry candle like those pictured below is burned. Trim each wick to a maximum length of 3/8″ before lighting. Failure to do so could lead to improper burning.

How long does a candle stay lit?

Most importantly, you must time the lighting of the candle so it will stay lit until after midnight. Legend has it that will bring a year of prosperity and good fortune to the house. Coal Region Connections.

When do you light a candle?

You usually light the candle when the 1st star appears. Most importantly, you must time the lighting of the candle so it will stay lit until after midnight. Again, legend has it that will bring a year of prosperity and good fortune to the house.

Can you burn a candle on Christmas Eve?

For those attending candlelight church services on Christmas Eve or those heading out to party New Year’s Eve, be sure to burn the candle carefully on a dish inside a kitchen sink. DO NOT extinguish the candle (that’s bad luck). It must be allowed to burn out on its own.

Why do people burn bayberry candles?

There is a folk custom that burning a new bayberry candle on Christmas Eve, or in some locations, New Year’s Eve would bring health and prosperity. To invoke the custom, it’s important that the candle not be blown out once it is lit, but that it is allowed to burn down completely. More about this custom later.

What is the scent of bayberry wax?

Natural bayberry wax has a subtle, spicy scent that is more pronounced as the candle is blown out, similar to beeswax candles. The colour of the wax is a pale sage green to olive green colour that varies with the growing conditions. It will develop a white blush, in the same way, that natural beeswax candles develop a white blush, due to the triglycerides that rise to the surface as the wax cools and crystallizes.

How to make bayberry wax?

Simmer the berries for one hour, but do not boil. Boiling the water will reduce the fragrant scent by releasing the essential oils. Pour off the water while it is still hot, reserving the water. It will contain bayberry wax. Add fresh cold water and simmer the berries again for one hour.

Why does bayberry wax turn white?

It will develop a white blush, in the same way, that natural beeswax candles develop a white blush, due to the triglycerides that rise to the surface as the wax cools and crystallizes . The melting point of bayberry wax is 114 to 130F, below the melting point of beeswax (140°F).

What is the ratio of beeswax to bayberry wax?

The wax is hard, brittle, and fatty to the touch. When using it for candle making add beeswax to the wax formula in a 1:2 ratio of beeswax to bayberry wax, by weight. Use a gram scale for accuracy. While you can make candles out of 100% bayberry wax, the addition of beeswax makes the candles more stable and less brittle.

How many pounds of bayberry berries are needed to produce one pound of wax?

It is a nitrogen-fixing plant, making it a good addition to a permaculture hedgerow or understory planting. With northern bayberry, about 4 to 6 pounds of berries are needed to produce one pound of wax.

Why are bayberries called bayberries?

New England Proverb. Bayberries were named so because the pilgrims found them growing along Cape Cod Bay, in New England.

What is a bayberry candle?

Bayberry candle is a greenish, strong scented candle illuminating millions of houses since forever. Lighting these candles on Christmas or New Year's Eve is a widely celebrated tradition. CelebrationJoy walks you through some information about the origin of the Bayberry tradition, its legend and this marvelous tradition.

Where were bayberry candles made?

Legend has it that bayberry candles were made in the eastern coast of America which were the first scented candles ever made. The settlers there realized there was a scarcity of supplies which included even candles.

How to get bayberry scent in candles?

Bayberry scent in a candle is obtained by adding a bayberry fragrance or essential oil to the popular wax types such as beeswax, paraffin and soy. Mrs. Mabel Baker, a Cape Cod woman, was the first to make hand-dipped bayberry candles from wild bayberries.

Why do people burn bayberry tapers?

They also illuminated the area with a clean flame. This gave rise to a norm that burning bayberry tapers ushered in good luck and happiness in their homes.

What is the name of the shrub that makes candles?

Soon the colonists came up with the idea of making candles with bayberry . Bayberry is a shrub found widely in the Atlantic coast. This bush has a berry-like fruit that produces a greenish-white-colored waxlike substance.

Why do candles burn to the core?

It is believed that letting these candles burn to the core would make for an abundant life filled with joy.

Do you burn bayberry candles on Christmas?

you must burn a Bayberry Candle on Christmas Day. And if the flame burns bright, and the light shines clear, then heaven will bless you all the year. So keep the tradition alive by illuminating your houses with these elegant tapers. Here’s hoping it will fill your lives with its aromatic scent.