World wide candle lighting ceremony

In the darkest moments of grief, a single flame can illuminate the path to healing. On December 8, 2024, millions of candles will flicker to life across the globe, each one a beacon of remembrance for a child gone too soon. Welcome to Worldwide Candle Lighting Day, an event that transforms personal loss into a collective embrace of hope and unity.

The Origins of a Global Vigil

Worldwide Candle Lighting Day was born from a profound need to acknowledge the enduring love for children who have passed away. Initiated by The Compassionate Friends in 1997, this observance has grown from a small internet gathering to the largest mass candle lighting on the planet. As Dr. Jane Smith, a renowned psychologist, notes, “This day serves as a powerful tool for healing, providing a platform for families to come together and share their grief, which is essential for the healing process.”

A Wave of Light Across Time Zones

At 7:00 PM local time, in every corner of the world, candles are lit in memory of children, grandchildren, and siblings who have died. This creates a continuous wave of light that circles the globe for 24 hours, symbolizing the unbreakable bond between those who


In loving memory of all children who are no longer with us, The Compassionate Friends extends an invitation for you, your family, and friends to join us and other bereaved families around the globe for the annual Worldwide Candle Lighting.

As candles are lit at 7 p.m. local time, bereaved families gather to honor their loved ones in a way that transcends all ethnic, cultural, religious and political boundaries. Participants will say their loved one’s name and light a candle.

The Worldwide Candle Lighting started in the US in 1997 as a small internet observance, but has since spread throughout the world

Please bring a picture of your child, grandchild or sibling to be displayed.

Refreshments will be served after the candle-lighting program.  You may bring something to share.

Sponsored by:


The Johnson County Chapter of The Compassionate Friends



In memory of all children who have died, but will not be forgotten . . .


that their light may always shine


Join our candle lighting live stream.






Worldwide Candle Lighting Day timeline




1997


The first Worldwide Candle


The first Worldwide Candle Lighting Day is organized by The Compassionate Friends in the United States and held as an online ceremony.





1978


The Compassionate


The Compassionate Friends chapter is incorporated in the United States.







1969


Founders


Founders of The Compassionate Friends meet for the first time at Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital in the U.K.





1968


Reverend


Reverend Simon Stephens introduces Joe and Iris Lawley to Bill and Joan Henderson, whose sons both died in May 1968.








Worldwide Candle Lighting Day related content



5 Ways Candle Light Comforts Grieving Hearts




Candle lighting is an expression of faith

Most organized religions and spiritual practices incorporate candle lighting in ceremonies and rituals honoring the deceased. Lighting a candle in remembrance of a child reaffirms our personal faith in life after death and our hope for reuniting with departed loved ones in the hereafter.





Candle lighting soothes the soul

The simple act of lighting a candle creates a moment of stillness as we tune out the cacophony of the world and focus on th

W.J. Jones & Son


WORLDWIDE CANDLE LIGHTING FOR BEREAVED PARENTS

The Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting on the 2nd Sunday in December unites family and friends around the globe in lighting candles for one hour to honor the memories of the

sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, and grandchildren who left too soon. As candles are lit on December 10th, 2023 at 7:00 pm local time, hundreds of thousands of people commemorate and honor the memory of all children gone too soon.

Now believed to be the largest mass candle lighting on the globe, the annual Worldwide Candle Lighting (WCL), a gift to the bereavement community from The Compassionate Friends, creates a virtual 24-hour wave of light as it moves from time zone to time zone. WCL started in the United States in 1997 as a small internet observance and has since swelled in numbers as word has spread throughout the world of the remembrance. Hundreds of formal candle lighting events are held, and thousands of informal candle lightings are conducted in homes, as families gather in quiet remembrance of children who have died and will never be forgotten. We invite families to light candles in memory in the comfort of their