“How many people could make candles?”
Meee - did it as a hobby in grade school, and from time to time since. Still have all of the hardware (and gasoline and propane-powered stoves to melt the wax, or a solar oven might make more sense).
“Even if they had the wax?”
Still have about 30 lbs. It would last a while, but it would run out, of course.
“Come to think of it, where does wax even come from?”
The store - YOU IDIOT, just like where my food comes from. LOL.
Find a bee keeper and use beeswax.