A candle is a lighting device usually consisting of an internal wick which rises through the center of a column of solid wax. Before the discovery of electricity, candles were a common source of lighting. Today, they are usually used for their beauty, particularly to set a soft, warm, or romantic ambience and for emergency lighting during electrical failures. They are also used in religious ceremonies.
Candles can be made of paraffin, beeswax, or animal fat. Candles are produced in various colors, shapes, sizes and scents. Some scented candles are used for aromatherapy.
See also oil lamp.
In physics, the Candle is an old unit of luminous intensity replaced by the Candela.