Facts About Birthday Candles
Birthday candles are a festive way to celebrate. According to the National Candle Association, the use of candles in celebrations goes back as far as 5,000 years, with the ancient Egyptians thought to be the originators. However, ancient Romans were believed to have designed the first candle with a wick. Does this Spark an idea?
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Definition
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Typically, birthday candles are small tapers that are placed on a cake, one candle for each year of age. The candles are composed of wax and have a cotton wick.
Chemical Reaction
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When you strike a match and hold it to the candle wick, it melts the wax near the wick. The heat of the flame vaporizes the melted wax and produces carbon dioxide and water vapor.
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Make a Wish
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When a birthday cake is presented to the celebrant with the candles flaming, tradition dictates that the person make a wish, and if they can blow all the candles out, the wish will come true.
Novelty Candles
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Novelty candles, such as numerals, animal shapes or "trick" relighting candles are becoming popular alternatives to the small birthday taper.
Candle Safety
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Because birthday candles have an open flame, some care should be taken to ensure safety. Do not leave burning candles around children or pets without supervision, do not expose flames to hair or any other type of fire hazard, and do not move lighted candles.
Non-Toxic
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According to the National Candle Association, no candle wax has been found to be harmful or toxic.
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References
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Comments
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According to the National Candle Association, no candle wax has been found to be harmful or toxic.
