Yahrzeit candle - wikipedia Yahrzeit candle Memorial candle that burns up to 26 hours A yahrzeit candle lit in memory of a loved one on the anniversary ( the `` yahrtzeit '' ) of the death Special yellow Yizkor candle for Yom HaShoah An electrical memorial candle with Hebrew inscription A yahrzeit candle beside a grave, inside a box designed to protect the candle from the wind. A yahrzeit candle on a grave, inside a box designed to protect the candle from the wind. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Category : Jewish grave candles. A yahrzeit candle, also spelled yahrtzeit candle or called a memorial candle, ( Hebrew : נר נשמה ‎, ner neshama, meaning `` soul candle '' ; Yiddish : יאָרצײַט ליכט ‎ yortsayt likht, meaning `` anniversary candle '' ) is a type of candle that is lit in memory of the dead in Judaism. This kind of candle, that burns up to 26 hours, is also lit on the eve of Yom Kippur or of the Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony ( Yom HaShoah ) to burn through the entire occasion. ( Judaism reckons `` days '' to begin at sundown, in accordance with Genesis, e.g., 1 : 5 : `` And there was evening and there was morning, one day. '' ) Contents 1 History 1.1 Usage 2 In culture 3 Gallery 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading History The use of a yahrzeit candle is a widely practiced custom, where mourners light a yahrzeit candle that burns for 24 hours, on the anniversary of the death on the Hebrew calendar. The word `` yahrzeit '' ( Yiddish : יאָרצײַט ‎ yortsayt ) itself means `` anniversary '' ( or more specifically `` anniversary ( of a person 's death ) '' ) in Yiddish, originating from German Jahr, year, and Zeit, time. It is customary to light the candle inside one 's home, or near the grave of the deceased. The candle is also lit on Yom Kippur and there are also customs to light a yahrzeit candle on the dates when yizkor is said ( Yom Kippur, Shemini Atzeret, final day of Pesach, and Shavuot ). It is also customary to light the candle during the shiva, usually a larger one that lasts the entire seven days. The custom of lighting a yahrzeit candle comes from the Book of Proverbs 20 : 27 `` The soul of man is a candle of the Lord. '' The custom of lighting a yahrzeit candle for the deceased is very widespread and deeply ingrained in Jewish life. Many Jews who are otherwise unobservant follow this custom. Today, some people use an electric yahrzeit candle that plugs into the wall instead of an actual candle for safety reasons. Usage The yahrzeit candle is lit during the week of Shiva ( mourning ). It is also lit at sundown on the eve of the yahrzeit ( anniversary of the death ) and at sundown preceding the start of Yom Kippur and at sundown preceding the last day of Succot, Passover and Shavuot. These holidays all have yizkor ( memorial ) in synagogue as well. Many observant Jews light candles made for Yahrzeit observance at the start of holidays which last for two or three days in order to allow the lighting of candles on the following days, since on holidays other than Shabbat and Yom Kippur lighting of flames is prohibited, while transfer of fire is permitted. 48 hour and 72 hour candles have also been manufactured for these purposes. In culture After Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated in 1995, the young people who came to mourn Rabin at the Kings of Israel Square where he was killed were dubbed the `` Youth of the Candles '' ( נוער הנרות, noar hanerot ) after the many yahrzeit candles they lit. Yahrzeit candles are often lit by many Jewish communities on Yom HaShoah ( Holocaust Remembrance Day ) in remembrance of those who were killed in the Holocaust. Gallery The grave of David Ben - Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel, along with his wife. His tomb is covered in yahrzeit candles and stones. The standard Israeli military graves of David Elazar, Jonathan Netanyahu, and others with a yahrzeit candle in a box for each grave. The assassination site of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin. It is usually filled with yahrzeit candles and flowers. Yahrzeit candles and signs entitled `` You shall not murder '' at a solidarity rally at Rabin Square for the victims of the 2009 Tel Aviv gay centre shooting. See also Bereavement in Judaism Lychnapsia References Jump up ^ Chana and Her Seven Sons, The Jewish Press, Chana Katz, December 8, 2004 Jump up ^ Ner Neshama, Morfix Dictionary ( in Hebrew ) Jump up ^ Memorial honors Yitzchak Rabin, The Daily Pennsylvanian, Brennan Quinn, December 6, 2000 Jump up ^ Tanakh : The Holy Scriptures : The new JPS translation according to the traditional Hebrew text. Philadelphia and Jerusalem : Jewish Publication Society. 1985. p. 3. access - date = requires url = ( help ) ^ Jump up to : The Jewish Religion, Louis Jacobs, Oxford University Press, 1995 6. What is Yahrzeit - Detailed text on the given subject Further reading `` Jahrzeit Candle '', Jewish Encyclopedia, Cyrus Adler and Judah David Eisenstein, 1901 - 1906 Jewish life Birth and infancy Hebrew birthday Shalom Zachar Brit milah Zeved habat Hebrew name Pidyon haben Coming of age Upsherin Wimpel Bar and Bat Mitzvah Yeshiva Kollel Daily life Ritual washing Prayers and blessings Prayer services Grace after meals Kashrut Honorifics Marriage Marriageable age Role of women Tzniut Yichus Matchmaking Engagement Jewish wedding Ketubah Chuppah Sheva Brachot Niddah Mikvah Divorce Religious practice 613 commandments Customs Torah study Weekly Torah reading Daf Yomi Shiur Siyum Chavrusa Chavurah Chidush Holidays Tzedakah Religious items Sefer Torah Siddur Machzor Tzitzit Tallit Tefillin Mezuzah Kippah Menorah Shofar Four species Death Chevra Kadisha Shiva Kaddish Tehillim Yahrzeit Yahrzeit candle Yizkor Honorifics Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yahrzeit_candle&oldid=826407213 '' Categories : Candles Bereavement in Judaism Observances honoring the dead Hidden categories : Articles with Hebrew - language external links Pages using citations with accessdate and no URL Articles containing Hebrew - language text Articles containing Yiddish - language text Talk Contents About Wikipedia עברית Edit links This page was last edited on 18 February 2018, at 23 : 07 ( UTC ). 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Question: when do you light a yahrzeit candle on yom kippur
Answer: at sundown preceding the start of Yom Kippur