Candles in Religion
Candles have often been used as a sign of remembrance and celebration in different religions around the world.
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In Buddhism, candles are a part of conventional Buddhist custom observances. In addition, as a show of respect, flowering candles and incense or a type of butter lamp – some source of light is placed in front of Buddhist shrines and images of the Buddha. The light from the candle is the light of the Buddha’s teaching – an echo of the various Buddhist teachings using lights or flames.
In Christianity the candle has often been associated with worship for both ambience and decoration in addition to the symbol of the light of God or the light of Christ. Alter candles are placed in pairs on the alter as a symbol of respect. Candles are also carried in the procession to the alter on both sides of the processional cross. Often someone lights a small votive or a long tapered candle when reciting a prayer.
Worshipers light the candles at the front of the church in Eastern Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and many other Christian religions in which the alter is prominently placed at the front of the church. These candles are said to be the offering candles because the candle is the symbol of the person offering themselves up to God. In addition to whatever offerings the other parishioners make – in the form of donations to the basket being passed around, these are all offerings to the Lord and will help the church meet their needs.
The liturgical candle in the Roman Catholic Church must be made of at least 51% beeswax with the remainder being made of Paraffin or some other substance. Within the Orthodox Church, the candles must be tapered and be of 100% beeswax unless there is a poverty situation and then there can be and exception. Often times, the stubs from the tapered candles are kept and melted down to make new candles from the old ones.
The Paschal candle, in some Western churches, represents the Resurrected Christ and is only used on Easter, baptisms and funerals.
In Judaism, two candles are lit on Friday night prior to the beginning of the weekly Sabbath festivities. A special candle with several wicks is lit on Saturday night for the celebration of Havdalah marking the end of the Sabbath and the beginning of a new week.
On the anniversary of a loved ones death, a candle is lit, the Yahtzeit according to the Hebrew calendar and a memorial candle is also lit on Yom HaShoah which is a day of remembrance for all Holocaust survivors. Candles are a part of many of the festivals of the Jewish people; a candle is lit on the eve of Passover because it is a symbolic search for chametz – unleavened bread, which is not eaten on Passover. Other times candles are lit are Sukkot and Shavuot which is the third festival – Sukkot, Passover and Shavuot.
The eight day holiday near the Christian holiday of the birth of Christ, Hanukkah is called the Festival of lights because one lights a candle each night for eight nights to celebrate the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem.