The History of Candles

The history of candle making does not belong to any one country as it was developed independently in many countries. The Egyptians formed candles that were make out of beeswax as early as 3000 BC. The Chinese created candles from whale fat during the Qin Dynasty (221–206 BC). In early China and Japan, tapers were made with wax from insects and seeds, wrapped in paper. In India, wax from boiling cinnamon was used for temple candles. During the first century AD, indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest fused oil from the eulachon, or "candlefish", for illumination. Excavations at Pompeii, Italy, revealed several candelabra.

3000 - 1 BC

the clay candle holders in Egypt have been found dating back to 400 BC.
Qin Shi Huang (259–210 BC) was the first emperor of the Chinese Qin Dynasty (221–206 BC). His mausoleum, which was rediscovered in the 1990s twenty-two miles east of Xi'an, contained candles made from whale fat.
In early China and Japan, tapers were made in wax from insects and seeds, wrapped in paper[citation needed].
Wax from boiling cinnamon was used for temple candles in India.

1 AD - 1500 AD

There is a fish called the eulachon or "candlefish", a type of smelt which is found from Oregon to Alaska. During the first century AD, indigenous people from this region used oil from this fish for illumination. A simple candle could be made by putting the dried fish on a forked stick and then lighting it.
Excavations at Pompeii discovered several candelabra.
Yak butter was used for candles in Tibet.
In Europe, the earliest surviving candle was discovered near Avignon in France, from the first century AD