Candles have provided light in the darkness and been treasured companions throughout history. Candles have had historic significance as part of religious ceremonies and celebrations, and some would argue have played an integral role in setting the right mood for pro-creation over the years.

The candle's place in history was validated recently when Forbes magazine ranked candles as one of the "20 Most Important Tools" of all time in terms of impact on human civilization and advancement.

With the broad scale use of electricity in the 20th Century, candles have evolved from a household necessity providing light for the home into a discretionary item which over 80 percent of Americans use to create a desired atmosphere in their homes.

More important than their visual appeal, - today's candles are valued most for the way they provide wonderful scents and aromas in a home. Although most candles throughout history have been either unscented - or actually had a bad odor - today's candles are all about fragrances.

Yankee Candle, the long-time market leader of the premium scented candle business, offers well over 100 varieties of fragrances in its stores and on its Web site, www.yankeecandle.com.

Rick Ruffolo, senior vice president of brand, marketing, and innovation
for Yankee Candle says: "Today's consumers are looking for the most seasonally appropriate fragrances to bring into their homes to help them welcome and celebrate the changing of the seasons. Yankee Candle focuses on offering a rotating range of seasonally relevant fragrances to help customers bring home the best scents year-round."

Electricity may have replaced candles as a home's primary source of light, but candles remain the number one choice for fragrance, ambiance and setting the right mood.

Ruffolo adds, "I'll take a flickering candle over a flickering light bulb anytime."