Featured Artwork: Rothermel, P. F. (Artist), & Andrews, J. (Engraver). (1869). Landing of the Pilgrims on Plymouth Rock, 1620 [Engraving] (detail).

“It is a far cry back to the time when the bayberry candle was first used. The candle burning at Yuletide in the old English times was very likely to be of bayberry, for it was considered lucky to burn one or more at Christmas… In our own country the use of the bayberry candle is as old as the settlements in Massachusetts and Virginia.” (Nature Magazine, 1923, p. 52).

The history of bayberry candles is intertwined with the early days of American colonial life, where resourcefulness was key to survival. Settlers brought with them the candle-making traditions of Europe, primarily using tallow or beeswax. However, upon encountering the native bayberry shrub – also known as Virginia myrtle or candleberry – they discovered its wax-coated berries offered a unique and practical alternative. These berries became a prized resource, yielding a high-quality wax that transformed candle-making practices in the colonies. The result was a distinctly American innovation, blending Old World techniques with New World ingenuity — and, thus, bayberry candles began to illuminate the axe-hewn homes of the European colonists who arrived in coastal North America.

As one, slightly humorous, yet partially true, account reimagines the bayberry candle origin story, “It seems that, back somewhere in the sixteen-twenties, some prowling Pilgrim, tramping the outer Cape on some errand or other, stopping now and then to adjust one of his round garters or light his long pipe…found, on the edge of a marsh, a certain berry-bearing shrub. It was a shrub that, back in England, had been called the candleberry tree, or bayberry bush. The shrub looks a little like mistletoe; but, unlike those of the mistletoe, its berries cluster about the main stalk, at the point where the branches start… In the fall the berries harden and turn grey. If you crush one of them between your thumb and forefinger you’ll find that it’s distinctly waxy. The prowling Pilgrim knew that shrub and he knew the highly useful purpose to which those berries could be devoted. They make candles – jadegreen candles that burn cleanly and brightly and give off a pleasing, pine-woodsy sort of odor” (Little, 1924, pp. 18–19).

Another, likely more realistic, anecdote on the discovery of bayberry wax can be found in the History of Virginia (Beverley & Campbell, 1855, pp. 108–109), originally published in 1705 by Robert Beverley, which reads: “The Melting of these berries is said to have been first found out by a Surgeon of New England, who performed wonderful things, with a salve made of them. This discovery is very modern, notwithstanding these countries have been so long settled” .

It wasn’t long before “candles were made by being run in moulds, or by a tedious process of dipping. The fragrant bayberry furnished a pale green wax,which Robert Beverly thus described: ‘A pale brittle wax of a curious green color,which by refining becomes almost transparent. Of this they make candles which are never greasy to the touch,nor melt with lying in the hottest weather; neither does the snuff of these ever offend the smell, like that of a tallow candle; but, instead of being disagreeable, if an accident puts a candle out, it yields a pleasant fragrancy to all that are in the room; insomuch that nice people often put them out on purpose to have the incense of the expiring snuff’” (Edson, 1912, p. 44)

The berries were so highly valued that laws were established in certain regions to prevent their premature harvesting. In 1687, the town of Brookhaven on Long Island enacted a law prohibiting the collection of bayberries before September 15th (which became known as Bayberry Day), under the penalty of a fifteen-shilling fine.

“One can easily imagine the attention given to the date, and the preparation, privately made by each, to be ready betimes in the morning of the appointed day; and then starting early, with a prearranged plan as to where the best and largest berries were to be sought, and gathered-in before discovered by other, equally active, neighbors. Old and young would go out to gather them, and the scene must have been very picturesque, had anyone leisure to observe” (Edson, 1912, p. 44).

William T. Allen’s 1911 article, “How to Make Bayberry Dips,” in American Homes and Gardens suggests that late-season bayberries may have been the optimal choice for candle making, “The small nuts are grayish in color and so thickly coated with a fragrant wax that they are sure to attract the attention of anyone, especially if he has come from a place where the plants are not found. He will without fail say: ‘What are these things? I have never seen berries like them.’ Two of their interesting habits are that they may continue to cling to the branches for two or three years, and are in their best condition for candle-making in October, especially after a few frosts have touched them” (Allen, 1911, pp. 378–379).

Allen continues with a rather poetic description of a typical bayberry harvest, “On a hillside the young folk, on a brilliant afternoon, found a beautiful cluster of the bushes. To gather the berries in the golden sunshine was the very poetry of berry-picking, in those waves of exquisite odor from the crushed fruit and the bruised and broken leaves and twigs. What better outdoor music could we have had than the tinkling of the harvest on the sides of our tin pails?”

Alice Morse Earle’s evocative writings about colonial times express a similar nostalgic fondness for the bayberry harvest, “I never pass the bayberry bushes in early autumn without eagerly crushing their perfumed leaves and berries. Their clean, fresh scent stirs a faint ancestral memory, a vision of Puritan children standing in glowing sunlight, diligently gathering the waxy berries. Their work not only provided essential materials for their households but also brought them health and happiness, especially if they loved the bayberries as much as I, their descendant, do” (The Bay View Magazine, 1907, pp. 94–95).

Featured Artwork: Schwind, C. P. (1968, June 1). Candles from bayberries [Illustration]. Eastham, Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Creating bayberry candles is a labor-intensive process and deeply steeped in tradition. Lots of work goes into all the steps of the bayberry candle-making process – from the harvest of the berries, to the melting of the wax, through the dipping and pouring of candles. It’s also a process that hasn’t changed much at all throughout the many hundreds of years since the first bayberry candle was made.

As Eastham, Massachusetts resident Cap’n Phil Schwind wrote in his scarce and highly collectible 1968 booklet, “Candles From Bayberries”, “Work bare-handed while stripping the berries. Gloves waste a lot of berries and one of the nicest things about bayberry picking is the soothing wax which accumulates on your hands as you pick. Your hands feel supple and soft in spite of the itching caused by the various digs of rose and blackberry thorns” (Schwind, 1968).

Local women and children on Cape Cod would harvest the berries, which are boiled in large kettles to extract wax – yielding roughly five pounds per bushel. Or, as stated by one charismatic Cape Codder who was known to work with large volumes of bayberries, “Takes about sixteen pounds o’ berries to make one pound o’ wax” (Little, 1924, pp. 18–19).

One of the messiest and most time consuming steps was the refining and purifying of the bayberry wax. 

“In the fall, (Pilgrim housewives) gathered the berries and boiled them in large kettles of water until the mixture softened to the consistency of jam. While still hot, the softened mass was pressed to extract a liquid blend of water and wax, which was collected into pans. As the mixture cooled, the water and wax naturally separated, with the wax rising to form a firm, two-inch crust on top. To ensure the wax’s purity, the Pilgrims refined it by melting the hardened layer over a fire and straining it thoroughly. The result was a clean, fragrant bayberry wax ready for candle making” (Little, 1924, pp. 18–19).

The boiling and skimming of the bayberry wax was often done in multiple steps, so as to increase the yield and improve the color of the end product.

“In the old days a family living inland always managed to ‘camp out’ for a month in the autumn near the sea-shore, where candleberry grows luxuriantly. The father cut down the bushes, the children stripped off the berries, and the mother stirred them in a big kettle of boiling water, over the open camp-fire. The boiling melted the wax coating from each berry, and it rose like oil to the top. It was skimmed off and strained through a sieve to get out leaves and other coarse material gathered with the berries. The second skimming was distinctly green. The under layer of wax on the berry is a livelier color than the outer one, which is, when melted, a yellowish gray. Three messes of berries were boiled and skimmed before the water was renewed. The flaky sheets of wax were melted again, strained through cloth, and poured into pans. There it hardened into bricks convenient for handling and packing“ (Country Life, 1909).

Then, “In the ‘dipping’ room four pieces of wick are fastened upon a light framework and the strings dipped into liquid wax. After dipping they are hung on a rack to dry and another frame is dipped, and so on until a dozen or more sets are given a coating. Thus in turn thirty-five coats are given before each candle is of the proper thickness” (Fall River Line Journal, 1917, p. 7).

To reduce the natural brittleness of the resulting bayberry wax, candle-makers often blended it with tallow or beeswax, (or, in later years, paraffin) resulting in the longest-burning and most durable colonial candle.

“These berries, in the process of making candles from them, are put into cold water and boiled four hours, and then left to simmer for another hour, and cooled gradually. When cold, a green wax comes to the surface of the liquid. This is removed and melted over a steaming kettle or in a double boiler, with no water in the inner vessel. To the bayberry wax is added an ounce or two of paraffin, or a wax candle. These two are melted together and then poured into candle molds or dipped in the old fashioned way, as follows: Tie candle wicking to a stick, dipping the wick repeatedly until the candle is the required thickness” (Nature Magazine, 1923, p. 52).

While a small amount of tallow or beeswax may have served to improve the resulting candles, any savvy candle-buying colonist needed to be vigilant that their expensive bayberry wax wasn’t being deceptively diluted to increase profit margins for the producer.

A circa-1712 letter from Thomas Lechmere to John Winthrop, Jr. read, “I am now to beg one favor of you – that you secure for me all the bayberry wax you can possibly lay your hands on… You must take a care they do not put too much tallow among it, being a custom and cheat they have got.” (Earle, 1895, pp. 303-307).

At the time, there was also growing concern over unscrupulous bayberry candle producers who were suspected of adding harmful adulterants, including verdigris, to the wax. These additives were used to enhance the candles’ color, appearance, and market appeal but raised serious safety and ethical issues.

“An interesting note on bayberry candles is found in a letter from Governor Jonathan Belcher to his son, a student at Cambridge, under date of Boston, May 20, 1734. ‘T now send by Captain Homans a box containing 60 bs of green wax candles, well made; and have put aboard Crocker the same quantity to be delivered to your uncle, from whom you will take them, and present in your own name (as the produce of your native country) one box to the Lord Chancellor, the other to the Lord Chief Justice, or other wayes as you shall judge may be most to your service. You must let em know that the greatest curiosity of them is the aromatic smell, and may be handled without any offence. They are made from a berry of a shrub which we call bayes.’ The allusion to their being ‘handled without offence’ is explained by G. Duyckinck, New York’s portrait painter and dealer in painting materials (1750) in his announcement ‘that he has a mill just completed for grinding and sifting of colors either in powder or in oyl, especially verdigrease, it being pernicious to the Health which is being used by some in making candles to color them green’” (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1925).

Featured Photo: Primitive Candle Mold

In addition to dipped candles, molds were also used to create bayberry candles of various sizes. The molds would be filled with the hot bayberry wax, and once the wax hardened, the candles could be removed.

“A candle mold is basically a hollow, tapered tube, usually from nine to ten and a half inches long, and about seven-eighths of an inch in diameter at the large end. These molds were fastened together in clusters of from two to forty-eight, with a dozen being the most popular. Through these molds and the tiny holes at the bottom the candlemaker threaded a twisted cotton wick. She then poured the wax into the open tops and allowed the candles to cool. When the wax had thoroughly hardened, the ends of the wick were cut at the bottom of the mold, and the entire mold quickly plunged into hot water. This loosened the candles so that they were easily withdrawn. For further hardening the candles were suspended for four or five days from a candle-hook – a piece of wood surrounded with a ring of hooks – and hung in the cellar where it was cool and dusky. Later they were stored in wooden boxes until needed to illuminate the long winter nights” (Tooker, 1948).

“The young folk found that the most difficult parts of candle-making by pouring was to get the liquid to just the right temperature, to pull the candles out of the molds, and to wait just long enough to let the candles harden, but not to get so hard as to crack. The secret of the last is to immerse the mold for only a second in boiling water, and instantly to pull out the candles. The interior of these old-time tubes is not always perfectly smooth, so that molded candles are apt to be rough and uneven on the surface. Dipped candles are smooth, but their outlines are often wavey. ‘Dips’ are rightly the favorite form, as they take us a little nearer to nature, and have no fancy features added by art. A little experimenting showed us how best to do all these things, and it then became an easy matter to produce candles in large quantities by either method” (Allen, 1911, pp. 378–379).

Featured Artwork: Beard, A. B. (1906). Making bayberry candles [Illustration]. In A. B. Beard, Things worth doing and how to do them (p. 327). New York: Scribner’s.

By the mid-to-late 1700s, spermaceti wax from sperm whales emerged as a more affordable and efficient candle-making material. Spermaceti candles offered exceptional brightness, a clean, odorless flame, a long burn time, and superior heat resistance. Then the world turned to whale oil lanterns for illumination purposes – followed by piped coal-gas networks, camphine, and (eventually) kerosene. As a result, bayberry candles fell out of favor for many years, and the traditional art of making them was nearly forgotten.

“‘Up Gloucester way,’ and down on Cape Cod, you will find a person, now and then, gathering candleberries every fall, and making dips as her grandmother did. But it is no longer a serious domestic industry,as it was before tallow and paraffine candles and kerosene oil lamps became common and cheap” (Country Life, 1909).

However, in the early 1900’s, a renewed interest emerged in the nostalgic charm of bayberry candles started to emerge. It wasn’t an isolated trend but rather a reflection of the larger Colonial Revival movement sweeping America at the time. This movement, which began with the Centennial celebration in 1876, was driven by a deep nostalgia for the 18th century. Amid the upheavals of the post-Civil War period, Americans sought a unifying historical narrative that celebrated their shared heritage and cultural identity. The Colonial period, idealized as a time of simplicity, honesty, and self-reliance, provided a compelling foundation for this national story.

“In the South it is called the Candleberry, more often the Myrtleberry, and again the Waxberry; but in New York and on Long Island it is called the Bayberry. It is rightfully Myrica; it belongs to the Bayberry family. The candles made from the berries of this bush were cherished by the pioneer housewives, and one wishes that this domestic industry still lived… The industry of making these Bayberry Dips has been revived by the Hingham Society of Arts and Crafts. These dips are suitable not only for household use but are especially appropriate for Colonial teas, Thanksgiving celebrations and occasions which seek to recall the early history of New England” (Keramic Studio, 1904).

Once a handful of key publications began highlighting the nostalgic charm of bayberry candles, it was as if a cultural floodgate had burst. Suddenly, everyone seemed to remember early-America’s invention of the forgotten bayberry candle all at once. Between 1910 and 1925, magazines and books of every stripe – lifestyle, women’s interest, botany, and arts-and-crafts – enthusiastically rediscovered and celebrated the forgotten art of colonial bayberry candle-making.

Publications devoted to colonial history and domestic arts brimmed with anecdotes, historical vignettes, and even creative reinterpretations of the candle’s origins. Step-by-step guides on how to craft bayberry candles appeared in abundance, offering readers a tangible connection to a simpler, storied past. This wave of enthusiasm, spurred by a growing nostalgia for early American life, elevated the humble bayberry candle from a folk tradition to a potent national symbol.

“I saw an advertisement the other day in a magazine – ‘old-fashioned bayberry dips, pretty and fragrant’ – what are they, anyhow? Why, grandmother made them many a-time when I was a boy. But that was years ago, and many things familiar to the young folk at that time seem strange to the young folk of the present day. Bayberry-dips, or candles, most fragrant and delightful, seem to be completely forgotten, as are certain flowers of our grandmothers’ garden. But some of the good old customs and things are coming into use again”  (Allen, 1911, pp. 378–379).

As industrialization reshaped the nation and cities grew, many Americans continued to romanticize the pastoral life of Colonial America, yearning for what seemed like a more innocent and harmonious era. This longing was expressed through architecture, events, and even decorative arts, as people sought to reconnect with the values and aesthetics of their ancestors.

“With the revival of the hand-industries, however, and the desire for the simple and beautiful things of an earlier era, even at the cost of a little trouble in the making, the bayberry dip has been remembered and the making of them found to be worthwhile. The bayberry candle has, to recommend it, several charms, some of which have been mentioned. First, the evidence it carries of being hand-made, bearing thus a suggestion as of personal service and a graceful one; second, the peculiar greenish color of the wax; furthermore, the soft, clear light it gives; and not least, the perfume it emits while burning and when extinguished” (Edson, 1912, p. 44).

Bayberry candles, with their association with early American traditions and resourcefulness, became a symbol of this revival. These colonial-era candles represented the ingenuity and thriftiness often attributed to early settlers. Their soft, natural glow and ties to seasonal rituals like Christmas made them a perfect fit for a movement steeped in both nostalgia and patriotism.

“In recent years there has been a revival of the candle burning at Christmas time and now it is no uncommon sight to see candles burning at the windows on Christmas eve. The fashion of sending bayberry candles for gifts to especially beloved ones is much in vogue, and for several years past the little green candles have been much in evidence in the shops” (Michigan Library Bulletin, 1916)

In a December, 1917 issue of the Fall River Line Journal, it is indicated that association of bayberry candles with the Christmas season and their rise in popularity have been a relatively recent development, “gaining traction over the past seven or eight years. Their growing appeal is evident in the increasing number purchased during the holiday season, celebrated for their elegant appearance and the warm, spicy fragrance they emit when lit. Unlike ordinary, molded candles that lack distinction, bayberry candles possess a rustic charm. Hand-dipped in the traditional manner, they are artistic and evocative of Colonial times, making them a perfect complement to antique candlesticks and historic interiors.”

Similarly, in the early 1920’s, a Manchester, Massachusetts newspaper article mentioned, “Bayberry candles for the Yuletide season were the pride of Colonial dames. Then they went out completely and no one ever heard of home-made bayberry candles until a few years ago saw a revival of the art, when one found them again in arts and crafts shop” (North Shore Breeze, 1923).

The Colonial Revival movement, which peaked between 1880 and 1940, permeated American culture in diverse ways. Lineage organizations like the Sons of the Revolution and Daughters of the American Revolution hosted events to celebrate and educate others about the nation’s roots. Colonial-themed balls, theatrical presentations, and even architectural styles drew inspiration from the 18th century. Within this context, the renewed interest in bayberry candles can be seen as part of a broader effort to reclaim and celebrate distinctly American traditions, blending historical romanticism with the desire to instill a sense of continuity and pride in the nation’s cultural heritage.

Part of the enduring magic and charm of bayberry candles lies in their deeply elemental creation process and their direct lineage to America’s earliest settlers. Harvesting the tiny, waxy berries from the bayberry bush and painstakingly boiling them to extract their fragrant wax is a labor-intensive yet profoundly natural craft, one that feels almost alchemical in its transformation of raw materials into something both functional and beautiful. This artisanal process connects us to a simpler, more self-reliant time, when early American colonists, including the Pilgrims, relied on such resourcefulness to survive.

Bayberry candles were a rare luxury in those days, reserved for special occasions and celebrations, and their significance grew alongside the story of America itself. Their lineage ties them directly to the nation’s founding narrative – a symbol of the ingenuity, perseverance, and communal spirit of the early settlers. And lighting a bayberry candle became an act of honoring a centuries-old tradition that evokes the resilience and hope of America’s origin story.

“Remarkably, the same technique (of bayberry candle-making used by Pilgrim housewives) is still alive today on Cape Cod, where a small but thriving candle-making industry follows nearly identical steps – but now as a commercial enterprise” (Little, 1924, pp. 18–19).

“I think the chief charm of the candleberry lies in its odor. It is intrinsically delightful; but it is more than that. It is a strong though intangible link between us and the Colonial days. Pull out a drawer in the old mahogany secretary,and there is the odor. Probably dips have been packed away there, at some time. It is the fragrance of grandmother’s room in the old New England homestead. The burning candle breathes the spirit of by-gone Christmases” (Country Life, 1909).

Featured Artwork: Colonna, D. (1954). The Little Candle Girl [Cover illustration]. Cape Cod, MA: Colonna Crafters.

“Picturesque bayberry candles, hand-dipped in the old fashioned way, are artistic looking objects, prove delightfully reminiscent of Colonial days, and for old candlesticks seem particularly suited to preserve the right atmosphere” (Fall River Line Journal, 1917, p. 7).

With the colonial bayberry revival, books and magazine articles were being published all over the country extolling the charm of bayberry candles and their conection to the holiday season. It wasn’t long after that those same magazines began to fill with advertisements for mail order bayberry candles – and thus the era of the modern commercial bayberry candle industry began.

Two of the most prominent bayberry candle manufacturers and suppliers of the era were located in the most fitting place to bring visions of authentic bayberry candles to life for the buying public: Cape Cod. Long associated with bayberry in both history and imagination, Cape Cod was suddenly reestablished as the natural epicenter for this storied craft.

Featured Artwork: Part of an early advertisement for The Bayberry Candle Place in North Truro, Cape Cod, MA.

“A resident of North Truro is said to have been the first to recognize the commercial value of bayberry wax and here is located what has been called “the home of the bayberry candle,” where considerable quantities of these candles are made each year… Bayberry candles are usually packed in fancy holly boxes daintily tied with ribbon, with an attractive greeting card enclosed, and no one who has visited Cape Cod can see them without picturing again the dry, aromatic fields and woodlands and recalling that clean, piny, spicy, salty fragrance which is characteristic of Cape Cod as heliotrope and roses are of Italy, or lilies and oleanders are of Bermuda” (Fall River Line Journal, 1917, p. 7).

That aforementioned “resident of North Truro” who was “said to have been the first to recognize the commercial value of bayberry wax” was Edward C. Morgan, the founder of Cape Cod Products Co. (also known as Cape Cod Specialties Co.), which played a pivotal role in establishing bayberry candle-burning as a celebrated tradition.

As detailed in Light from Cape Cod – An Industry Old, but New, Yields Reflections by Arthur H. Little (1924), Morgan’s journey began around 1909 when he and his family moved from Gloucester to North Truro, where he worked in a fish-packing plant. It was a simple request from his mother – “not out of necessity,” but due to her nostalgia for old New England traditions – that set the stage for his new venture. She longed for a bayberry candle, and Morgan, inspired by her sentiment, collected some North Truro bayberries, extracted the wax, and hand-dipped a candle just for her.

While the gesture was personal, Morgan saw potential for something more. Surrounded by an abundance of bayberry bushes, he recognized the opportunity to create authentic hand-dipped candles for a wider audience. Initially, he juggled this budding craft alongside his fish-packing job, crafting candles seasonally and introducing them to Bostonians. These customers not only purchased the candles for themselves but also sent them to friends and family in far-off states like Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan, laying the foundation for Morgan’s growing clientele.

The company ran a very wide variety of bayberry candle ads in a very wide variety of magazines – almost always targeting the Christmas holiday season, and appears (based on the sheer volume of ads that can be found) to have engaged in a significant amount of mail order business.

Morgan established a bayberry candle factory and shop known as The Bayberry Candle Place in North Truro. By the time automobiles and paved roads made Cape Cod more accessible to tourists, Morgan’s candles had already gained a reputation as cherished tokens of New England tradition. The Cape’s new influx of visitors only amplified demand, securing Morgan’s legacy as a pioneer of the bayberry candle craft.

“At the beach end of Depot Road in North Truro is The Bayberry Candle Place, looking like an old sail loft, sheathed with weather-beaten gray shingles. Here bayberry candles are dipped by hand for the summer trade” (Massachusetts, 1973).

NOTE: By the way, for anyone attempting to find the location, Depot Road in North Truro is now known as Pond Road.

“Thus the business at North Truro began. About its beginnings there was nothing spectacular… No, at the start, Morgan’s candle business wasn’t exactly rushed. But it grew. Across Cape Cod Bay and up the Atlantic a little way was Boston; and to a Bostonian, a genuine bayberry candle, hand-dipped at so properly historical a spot as North Truro – it traces back to some connection with Paul Revere – is one of the finer things of life” (Little, 1924, pp. 18–19).

Featured Artwork: Part of a postcard for Colonial Candles of Cape Cod in Hyannis, MA.

Perhaps no one has done more to elevate the idea of bayberry candles as part of the Christmas Holiday tradition in America, and even worldwide, than Mabel Kimball Baker.

Baker’s journey from a Cape Cod schoolteacher to the founder of a pioneering candle empire is a story as remarkable as the candles she created. Growing up in Hyannis, Massachusetts, Mabel was enchanted by tales of the Pilgrims crafting candles from the waxy berries of the native bayberry bushes. Inspired by these stories and by the bushes lining her coastal walk home, she decided to try her hand at the craft. Starting with small gatherings of bayberries and experimenting in her modest kitchen, Mabel eventually perfected the art of hand-dipping bayberry tapers. What began as thoughtful Christmas gifts for family and friends soon blossomed into a beloved tradition and a budding business. (Fial, 2023)

Her candles became so popular that she began selling them in her husband Walter’s hardware store, and by 1909, they were a sought-after item in shops across Cape Cod. That year, Colonial Candle of Cape Cod officially came into being, marking the founding of the first woman-owned candle company in the United States.

Mabel’s success was due not only to her artistry but also to her determination and innovation. Walter Baker sold his general store in 1921 to build a dedicated candle factory, allowing the business to scale. He also introduced the technique of crafting candles from solid-colored wax, a hallmark of the Colonial Candle brand. By the mid-20th century, the company had grown into the largest industrial employer on Cape Cod, employing hundreds of workers and producing millions of candles each year. By the time of Mabel’s passing in 1965, the company she had started with a handful of bayberries was worth $6 million and was continuing to grow.

Colonial Candle’s legacy, firmly rooted in the humble bayberry, endures even today. Though the business has changed hands and relocated, the tradition of crafting exquisite candles in the United States remains a point of pride.

The enduring impact of the two bayberry candle pioneers of the modern era: While Mabel Kimball Baker of Colonial Candle of Cape Cod and Morgan’s The Bayberry Place in North Truro didn’t invent the bayberry candle, they were certainly instrumental in reinventing it for a modern audience.

Through their exquisite craftsmanship, nostalgic marketing, and elegant packaging, both businesses breathed new life into an old tradition, transforming the bayberry candle into a beloved seasonal ritual. By tapping into the Colonial Revival movement’s longing for authenticity and historical connection, Baker and Morgan successfully positioned their candles as symbols of both heritage and hope. Their work popularized bayberry candles during their era and also ensured the preservation of the tradition for generations. To this day, the practice of burning bayberry candles during the holidays endures largely because of these pioneering entrepreneurs who reimagined the past and brought it so beautifully into the present.

Taubert, Eric. J. Photo of a verse from The Purple Island. In Nantucket and other verses. New York: J. J. Little & Ives Company. — as seen on the bar-top at Oran Mor Bistro, Nantucket, MA [Photograph].

During the colonial revival and return of the forgotten bayberry candle to American consciousness, the candle began to be connected to a wide variety of legends and traditions – many with catchy lines of poetry associated.  

These legends and traditions continue to be practiced today – and these snippets of rhyming verse that have been passed down through the generations are still recited as part of the tradition of burning Bayberry Candles during Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

“A bayberry candle is said to protect its owner from harm; it is lighted on Christmas day. As the legend runs, its incense will be wafted through the air to friends in distant lands and thus their minds will turn to the far-away giver. It is called the Purification candle” (Michigan State Board of Library Commissioners & Michigan State Library, 1916)

“Their peculiar odor permeates the entire house at holiday time and stirs memories of evergreen woodlands and long stretches of windswept sand dunes covered with low candleberries. Perhaps it is through the association of some colonial maiden and her lover in the old country that a famous legend arose. The story goes that if two lovers, separated on Christmas Eve, burn bayberry candles, the sweetness of the melting wax will be wafted from each to the other, even to the farthest place on earth – if their love be true. And certainly from the days of the Pilgrims comes the old rhyme we still say as we burn our holiday candles: ‘A bayberry candle burnt to the socket, brings luck to the house, food to the larder, and gold to the pocket’” (Tooker, 1948).

These sayings, often promising luck, health, abundance, love, and joy, added an air of mystique to the candles and became an integral part of the holiday tradition.

“Here’s a Bayberry candle that’s meant just for you; With Holiday Tradition that’s tried and true; When you light this candle on Christmas Eve Day; Love and Luck come to you when it’s burned all the way!”

“The Christmas Eve that’s lighted by; A candle made of bay; Is one whose joy and blessedness; Will never fade away” (Cornish, 1918, p. 719).

“A bayberrie candle for every guest; Shows hospitality the best; Greet your friends on Christmas night; With bayberries shedding welcome bright” (Cornish, 1918, p. 719).

“Another old rhyme from the old ‘Country Almanack’ runs ‘To learn your luck for the year, they say, burn a Bayberry dip on New Year’s Day, and if flame burn bright and the light shines clear, good luck will be yours throughout the year’” (Condé Nast Publications, 1910).

“A pair, or several of the candles in their Christmas wrappings of tissue paper, holly and red ribbons, makes a very pretty and acceptable gift. With the accompanying card attached to the ribbon, a sentiment or verse may be written as: ‘Let me light a candle of love in your heart that will never burn out.’ ‘Thy modesty’s a candle to thy merit.’ These candles are supposed to bring good luck if burned before the end of the year”  (House & Garden, 1908).

There were even strict guidelines, with specific and challenging sets of instructions, proposed by some proponents regarding the practice of participating in the in the annual tradition of holiday bayberry candle burning.

“The Christmas Bayberry Candles must be bound and wreathed with Christmas greens and kept burning through the midnight hour, when cocks crow, bees sing, cattle kneel, and sheep go in procession; when “no planets strike, no fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm. And there’s only one way to light the Christmas candles, whether they be silver-sconced on either side of the mantel’s decoration or in candelabra settings on the walls; whether they flank the festive silver or gleam beacon-like from fir-tree boughs; whether they light the Christ-Child’s passage or lead worshipers to midnight watch. This is the way: Get you two flint rocks and, just as the evening star appears over the horizon, strike your fire down from heaven to set your torch aflame” (Butler, 1923).

And there was no shortage of advice being made available to housewives who may have been seeking to add a more refined sense of aesthetic to the Christmas bayberry candle customs they felt inspired to celebrate with their family members.

“Old-time silver candlestick holders make a suitable setting for bayberry candles, or if you do not possess any of these heirlooms, try something unique. The prettiest and most attractive kind of a holder may be made with rosy cheeked apples. They should be of uniform size and a hole hollowed out to set the candle in, so it will stand firm. Place a wreath of holly around it on the white cover” (House & Garden, 1908).

The mid-20th century saw companies like Cape Cod Products Co. and Colonial Candles of Cape Cod driving the popularity of bayberry candles through clever promotional campaigns – and, undeniably, the slick marketing of bayberry candles had much to do with the propagation of these legends and traditions.

These firms ran ads all over the country associating “ancient” bayberry candle legends with the winter holidays. Then ,they packaged their bayberry candles in ornate gift boxes with printed inserts explaining the traditions and rhymes associated with bayberry candles. Such practices positioned bayberry candles as irresistible holiday gifts, blending the yearning for Christmas holiday nostalgia with a faint whiff of mystical folk magic.

“The most attractive bayberry candles. come to-day from a New England village, as is fitting… The candles are made entirely by hand in the original manner, no short-cut or easy process being able to produce the same results. When sent out the beautiful sage green is wrapped in white tissue paper and enclosed in a box of a contrasting tone of old blue. A box may contain a single candle, a half dozen or a dozen. On opening the lid above the candle in its white tissue paper is found a charming motto-card, bearing an appropriate verse in Old English or other decorative lettering. For example: ‘On New Year’s Eve A bayberry candle. Burned to the socket Brings health to the home And wealth to the pocket.’ The little verse and the pleasing manner of its presenting suggest the literature which grew up about the bayberry candle” (Edson, 1912)

But the truth is, these legends, traditions, and sayings — however heavily marketed they were and continue to be — almost certainly find their roots in authentic sentiments passed down through the generations.

As the dark and cold winter season was bearing down on the earliest colonists of New England, with everything and everyone they’d ever known back thousands of miles across an unforgiving and dangerous ocean – the pure and comforting light, plus the pleasant woodsy scent, from a hard-earned bayberry candle must have seemed miraculous.

Bayberry candles were reserved for special occasions due to the labor-intensive process of creating them: fifteen pounds of berries were required to produce just one pound of wax.

Indeed, the discovery that bayberries could provide a clean-burning, fragrant wax for candle-making must have seemed nothing short of a divine blessing during the earliest pilgrim days in Massachusetts. At a time when livestock were scarce and tallow candles were not an option, the abundance of bayberries offered a welcomed solution to the pressing need for illumination. The light they provided, clear and comforting against the dark wilderness of the New World, was very likely seen as a gift of light from a caring god. It’s easy to understand why these rare and valuable candles came to be so highly regarded and why, over time, enduring legends and cherished traditions would naturally spring up around them.

This Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, as Charlene and I prepare to light our bayberry candle, we’ll take a moment to reflect on the blessings this tradition has brought us – and the countless New Englanders who have kept it alive through the centuries. It’s a small yet profoundly meaningful ritual, a celebration of light, intention, and gratitude that never fails to remind us of the enduring magic of this winter holiday season.

To honor the tradition, first you’ll need to get yourself some true bayberry candles. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but bayberry-scented candles won’t work :-)

Light your bayberry candle in the evening as the first star appears in the sky. Once lit, the candle must burn past midnight and into the next day.

Most important: the bayberry candle, once lit, must only extinguish itself naturally – snuffing it out is said to bring bad luck.

Timing is key. Eight-inch and ten-inch bayberry tapers will burn for 4 to 8+ hours – so lighting it at, or shortly after, dinner should carry it past midnight.

As a disclaimer – our professional safety team at New England Innkeeper doesn’t ever recommend allowing candles to burn unattended.

But if the candle is burning slowly and you find yourself needing to retire early, be certain to set up a safe environment for your candle. Make certain it is secure in a candle holder, with nothing flammable anywhere near it. You could even place it in the sink for an additional layer of safety.

If timed correctly, you’ll witness the edge-of-your-seat drama of the candle’s final moments (and, trust me, it always takes longer than you expect): a flutter of the flame, followed by a puff of bayberry-scented smoke that fills the room with aromatic evidence of your good fortune to come.

If you retire early, you’ll probably miss the woodsy fragrance as the flame puffs out, but your good luck will still be intact.

Why not join us this year? Make a new Christmas memory. Light a bayberry candle, let its glow warm your home, and carry forward a tradition steeped in hope, abundance, and quiet reflection. In the midst of the season’s hustle and bustle, this simple act offers a rare moment of peace, connection, and timeless charm.

After all, as New Englanders, and as citizens of these United States, what more fitting tribute could we offer to the steadfast souls of those Pilgrims who carved out new lives in this untamed land than to light a bayberry candle on a sacred evening – or two – in their honor?

Or perhaps William Bradford said it best in his Of Plimoth Plantation, “Just as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone unto many, yea in some sort to our whole nation.”

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