Yahrzeit candle
Yahrzeit candle
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Yahrzeit candle

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Yahrzeit candle

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.

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.

In Hebrew, the candles are also called Ner Neshama – a candle for the soul.

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. Many Jews who are otherwise unobservant follow this custom. It is customary to light the candle inside one's home, or near the grave of the deceased.

The candle is also lit before Yom Kippur and there are also customs to light a yahrzeit candle on the dates when the yizkor prayer is said in synagogue (Yom Kippur, Shemini Atzeret, final day of Pesach, and Shavuot). Some also light before the Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony (Yom HaShoah).

In all cases, the candle is lit before sundown. This is because in Judaism, days begin at sundown, in accordance with Genesis, e.g., 1:5: "And there was evening and there was morning, one day.")

It is also customary to light the candle during the shiva, usually a larger one that lasts the entire seven days. In the absence of a seven-day Shiva candle, seven yahrzeit candles can be lit on successive days (but not in violation of Shabbat).

Today, some people use an electric yahrzeit candle that plugs into the wall instead of a candle for safety reasons, such as in a hospital.

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