About 10 years ago, I started selling beeswax candles in my store. A friend, who ran the general store in Colinton, (a small town in northern Alberta), would stop by for a visit and shop at CC when she came to the city to pick up supplies. She supported the farmers in her community by selling the meat and chicken, eggs and vegetable products they produced. Margaret highly recommended the beeswax candles made by a beekeeper in her area, saying I really should be selling them in the store. I agreed, and the rest is history!
Bees may be small, but they are mighty! They are the hardest working creatures on our planet, pollinating fruits, vegetables, agricultural crops and flowers. Thirty per cent of the world’s crops and ninety per cent of all plants require pollinators, like bees, to produce and thrive.
Amazingly, it’s the young worker bees (17 days old) that make beeswax, then carefully shape it into hexagonal cells to make a honeycomb-honeycombs store honey.
My mom once told me that my grandfather was a beekeeper. How I wish I would have known this many years ago (more importantly…been interested in this when I was young!). He was a gifted storyteller, and I know his stories would not have only entertained but would have taught me the importance of bees and how necessary they are to the global food chain.
Beeswax candles not only glow in the warmest shade of gold, but they also purify the air by releasing negative ions that neutralize pollutants in the air. If the wicks are trimmed properly (to 1/4″), beeswax burns cleanly without smoking. Burning hotter than paraffin, beeswax produces less soot. Although there may be a slightly sweet smell of honey while the candles are burning, the scent does not interfere with the smell of food, making them a good option to burn on a dining room table.
Beeswax candles add the warmest glow to any table setting, whether everyday or special occasion. As the nights get longer and colder, it’s the perfect time to cozy up and enjoy the magic of flickering candlelight.
***We may not be having lovely dinner parties or boisterous family gatherings this fall, but we can still treat ourselves to the beauty in simple pleasures!
Take care everyone,
xox Judy
PS It’s important to remember to plant fruits and flowers for bees to pollinate. Unfortunately, bee populations are diminishing due to climate change and pesticides. We can help turn this around.