Votive candle - wikipedia Votive candle A votive candle rack at Grace Episcopal Cathedral, an Anglican Christian cathedral in Topeka. A votive candle or prayer candle is a small candle, typically white or beeswax yellow, intended to be burnt as a votive offering in an act of Christian prayer, especially within the Anglican and Roman Catholic Christian denominations, among others. In Christianity, votive candles are commonplace in many churches, as well as home altars, and symbolize the `` prayers the worshipper is offering for him or herself, or for other people. '' The size of a votive candle is often two inches tall by one and a half inches diameter, although other votive candles can be significantly taller and wider. In other religions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism, similar offerings exist, which include diyas and butter lamps. Contents 1 Use by Christian denomination 1.1 Anglicanism 1.2 Catholicism 1.3 Eastern Orthodoxy 1.4 Lutheranism 1.5 Methodism 2 Composition 3 Gallery 4 See also 5 References 6 External links Use by Christian denomination Votive candles at a small Roman Catholic Christian grotto in the American state of Texas Votive candles on sale for Hallowe'en in a Midwestern department store Candles are lit for prayer intentions. To `` light a candle for someone '' indicates one 's intention to say a prayer for another person, and the candle symbolizes that prayer. Many times, `` a board is placed nearby with names of those for whom prayer is requested. '' A donation box sometimes is placed near a votive candle rack in order that Christians lighting the votive candles can help defray the cost of votive candles. Anglicanism Some Anglican churches, especially those that worship in the High Church or Anglo - Catholic tradition, have votive candles for purposes of praying for the dead as well as asking for saintly intercession. Catholicism In the Roman Catholic Church, candles are placed before a statue of Jesus or of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Often, in older or traditional churches, this will be before a bye - altar. Candles used may vary from long, taper - type candles to tealight candles. Tealight candles are either placed in holders or just on a platform in front of the statue. Long candles may be placed in a special holder. Eastern orthodoxy Orthodox churches use long, thin candles, which are placed in round containers. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, candles are lit before icons, usually of Jesus Christ or the Holy Theotokos. Usually Orthodox churches only use long, thin candles. These are usually placed in round containers, having either various sockets to hold the candles, or in a container filled with sand, in which the worshippers place their candles. Orthodox churches will usually have a separate place to put candles lit for the departed ; Anglican and Roman Catholic churches make no such distinction. Lutheranism Lutheran churches may use votive candles which may be lit at home, as a part of personal or family devotions, or at the church. They are usually lit on the altar rails, or in front of the altar cross. They are also often lit during the liturgy of Good Friday. Methodism In the United Methodist Church, those churches which worship in the High Church tradition make use of votive candles. During the liturgical celebration of Allhallowtide, especially on All Saints ' Day ( All Hallows ' Day ), votive candles are lit and a prayer is said for each person of the congregation who has died that year. Composition Votive candles are made from different types of waxes including paraffin, soy wax or beeswax. There are different grades of wax with different melting points. Paraffin is often mixed with other types of waxes, such as beeswax or vegetable wax. This is done to obtain the rigidity necessary for the type of candle being made. The speed at which the candle burns depends on the composition of the wax. A taper candle that sits in a ring - shaped candle holder may have a low melting point and produce little to no oil, whereas a votive candle set in a glass cup may have a very low melting point and turn to oil. Pillar candles, large candles often with multiple wicks, have their own formula. Soy jar candles tend to have a lower melting point than pillars and votive candles. Candle quality also varies widely depending on the candle maker. The aroma of a lighted scented candle is released through the evaporation of the fragrance from the hot wax pool and from the solid candle itself. Lead wicks are unlikely to be found in any candle sold in the U.S. today : lead - core wicks have been banned from the U.S. since 2003, and members of the National Candle Association -- which account for more than 90 % of candles made in the U.S. -- have not used lead wicks for more than 30 years. Reputable manufacturers use cotton, cotton - paper, zinc - core or tin - core wicks, all of which are known to be safe. Gallery Votive candles on a Christian home altar surrounding a crucifix in crystal Madonna and Child with a votive candle rack and prie - dieu in a Methodist church Portuguese votive candles in the shape of afflicted body parts Hand - poured blue votive candles Hand - poured green votive candles A child lighting a votive candle at the Catholic Christian Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula in Brussels Votive candles at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis Automatic votive candles See also Anglican devotions Candlemas Ex-voto Grave candle Incense Paschal candle Votive References Christianity portal ^ Jump up to : Geddes, Gordon ; Griffiths, Jane ( 2002 ). Christian Belief and Practice. Heinemann. p. 68. ISBN 9780435306915. Many Christians light candles as an aid to prayer. In Roman Catholic and some Anglican churches, Christians place a lighted candle by a statue of Jesus, Mary or one of the saints. The candles are called votive candles. They are symbols of the prayers the worshipper is offering for him or herself, or for other people. In some churches a board is placed nearby with names of those for whom prayer is requested. ^ Jump up to : Keene, Michael ( 2000 ). Christian Life. Nelson Thornes. p. 11. ISBN 9780748752874. The shape of many of the older churches was important. The central aisle down the middle ( the nave ) was crossed by another aisle in front of the sanctuary to form a cross-shape. The shape of the church is a reminder to everyone of the death of Jesus. The people sit on either side of the aisle in pews. Candles are a feature of many churches although they are not found in Nonconformist churches. People often light a candle before they say a prayer -- the candles used for this purpose are called ' votive candles '. Candles remind worshippers of Jesus who described himself as ' the Light of the world '. ^ Jump up to : Cross, Frank Leslie ; Livingstone, Elizabeth A. ( 2005 ). The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Oxford University Press. p. 277. ISBN 9780192802903. Retrieved 20 October 2014. Votive candles are candles lit before statues in churches or shrines as personal offerings. Jump up ^ O'Toole, James M. ( 1 July 2005 ). Habits of Devotion. Cornell University Press. p. 128. ISBN 9780801472558. Everyday forms of Marian devotion like the recitation of daily prayers or litanies or 1he lighting of votive candles at a church or before a home altar, though still practiced, seem to be less attached to a communal focus. Jump up ^ `` Ask a Catholic : Why light candles at church ? ''. Cptryon.org. Retrieved 2010 - 07 - 10. Jump up ^ Benedict, Daniel. `` Emerging Worship : Votive Candles, Prayer, and Postmoderns ''. United Methodist Church - General Board of Discipleship. Retrieved 17 June 2013. Jump up ^ http://www.candles.org/elements_fragrance.html Archived July 18, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. External links Media related to Votive candles at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Votive_candle&oldid=799360610 '' Categories : Candles Christian religious objects Christian prayer Votive offering Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Español Français Հայերեն Nederlands Русский Edit links This page was last edited on 7 September 2017, at 06 : 40. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: what does lighting a candle in a catholic church mean
Answer: prayers the worshipper is offering for him or herself, or for other people