Why do Catholics light candles for the dead?

Lighting votive candles for deceased loved ones is an ancient tradition that is still practiced by many Catholics around the world.

One of the most enduring traditions of popular piety in the Catholic Church is the practice of lighting a votive candle for a deceased loved one.

Many Catholic churches throughout the world have an area dedicated to the lighting of votive candles.

Symbolism of candles

“I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12

At the Easter Vigil, when the deacon or priest enters the darkened church with the single Easter candle, he intones, “Christ, our Light.” To which the congregation replies, “Thanks be to God.” This recalls how Jesus came into our world of sin and death to bring the light of God to us.

Candles at early Christian tombs

Besides being used to illuminate the places where the early Christians celebrated Mass, candles were also lighted at the tombs of martyrs. Father William Saunders explains that “there is evidence that lit candles or oil lamps were burned at the tombs of saints, particularly martyrs, by the 200s, and before sacred images and relics by the 300s.”

Fr. Edward Looney wrote in an article for Aleteia that, “The flickering flame becomes a reminder to the petitioner and all who see it that in the darkest moment of a person’s life, Christ’s light shines, illuminating the darkness.”

The candles also represent our prayers for a deceased loved one and while they aren’t a required element of prayer, the candles have a great deal of symbolism and can comfort us in our moment of sorrow.

Lighting candles for the dead has a long and rich history in the Catholic Church and is not meant to be any type of superstition or ancestor worship, but is a reminder of Christ’s light in this world and the next.