The idea of sealing one's words of love with a wax seal so as to ensure that only the recipient knows of your passion is oh so very romantic, don't you think?
Wax seals date back to the Middle Ages and were originally made using 2/3 beeswax and 1/3 resin. The wax was pressed using a handheld seal or a signet ring. Such a ring was possessed only by aristocracy and church leaders. The pope used a signet ring called the "Ring of the Fisherman" to seal papal papers and personal correspondence up until 1842. Even now, a new Fisherman ring is cast in gold for each incoming Pope.
By the 13th century, wax seals were used much like a signature. Each individual had their own seal. They were used to authenticate agreements, wills, contracts and letters. Seals were destroyed after the owner's death to prevent forgery. The modern version of the wax seal is the rubber stump and ink used by many governmental offices on official documents.
Much later, wax seals were used to seal private correspondence. The invention of pre-gummed envelopes in the 19th century rendered wax seals unimportant. However, I find it fitting to seal each apidae candle box with a wax seal, a tradition as old as the craft of beeswax candle making.
So I encourage you to all go write a letter to someone special and seal it with a wax seal!
