Burned to the Socket | America's Bayberry Candle Tradition

The bayberry candle is one of the most beautiful things America has ever produced — and most people have never seen a real one. Burned to the Socket traces the bayberry candle from the coastal shrubs of the Atlantic seaboard through three centuries of American craft and tradition.

Part natural history, part heritage story, this 80-page hardcover coffee-table book explores the plant, the wax, the hands that shaped it, and the simple New Year's Eve ritual passed down since the colonial era. Featuring historical illustrations, botanical plates, colonial engravings, and more — this is the definitive story of America's bayberry candle tradition, published in honor of America's 250th anniversary.

What's Inside * The Bayberry Shrub — The native plant, its coastal habitat, and centuries of botanical history * Colonial America — How bayberry candles lit the homes of early Americans * The Wax Itself — The chemistry and character of one of nature's most remarkable waxes * The Art of Making — Hand-dipping bayberry candles, past and present * The Tradition — The New Year's Eve ritual and the verse that keeps it alive

Details * 8.5 × 8.5" hardcover (casewrap) * 80 pages, full color throughout * Premium paper stock * Published by Cape Candle "A bayberry candle burned to the socket brings food to the larder and gold to the pocket." Light one this year. And pass it on.