Yahrzeit Candle: When to Light It and How Long It Burns

A small candle in a glass that burns for a full day. It is one of the simplest and most familiar customs of remembrance, and one that raises many practical questions. Here are the answers.

Updated October 15, 2026 · 4 minute read

Want to send a candle to the family? A lit yahrzeit candle with the name, to save as a picture or send on WhatsApp.

Why a candle

The Book of Proverbs says: “The soul of man is the candle of the Lord.” The soul is likened to a flame: small, alive, moving. Lighting a candle in someone’s memory is a way of saying their light is still here. It is a custom rather than a commandment, and it is kept in almost every Jewish community.

When to light it

On the yahrzeit: the evening before, at sunset, because the Hebrew day begins at sunset. The calculator shows when it falls, including the evening to light.
During shiva: a candle burns in the house of mourning for all seven days. Seven-day candles are made for this.
Before Yom Kippur: many light a memorial candle for their parents before the fast begins.
Before Yizkor: before Shemini Atzeret, the last day of Passover and Shavuot, some light a candle before the festival begins.

How long it burns

A standard yahrzeit candle is made to burn about twenty-four hours; some last twenty-six hours or more. A shiva candle burns about seven days. There is no need to put it out. It is left to burn until it goes out by itself.

When the yahrzeit falls on Shabbat or a festival

No flame is lit on Shabbat, and no new flame on a festival, so the memorial candle is usually lit before Shabbat or the festival begins (on Friday, before the Shabbat candles). Choose one that will burn long enough. And when the yahrzeit falls on a Sunday, or on the day after a festival, the evening it begins is still Shabbat or the festival: light the candle once Shabbat or the festival is out, not at sunset. The calculator notes this beside each date it affects.

Practical questions

An electric candle? It is accepted where a flame is unsafe or not allowed (a hospital, a care home, near small children), and many use one at home too.
Where to put it? On a stable, non-flammable surface, away from curtains and out of children’s reach. It does not need to be at the grave.
What do you say? There is no set text. Some say a few words or a psalm; some simply light it and stand quietly for a moment.
One candle for several people? Many light a separate candle for each person. There is no single rule.

A candle on the memorial page too

Every memorial page on Place a Stone has a candle, and once the page is open, anyone can light it: a grandchild abroad, an old friend who cannot travel, a neighbour who remembers. The page shows how many people have lit one, and how many are burning now. It does not replace the candle at home, but it lets people far away take part. See an example page

One place for everything that remains

A memorial page you keep: the life story, photographs, recordings, and memories that family and friends send and you approve. A reminder before each yahrzeit when the page keeps the Hebrew date, and everything downloadable at any time. Creating and filling the page is free. It stays private, seen only by you, until you open it to others with one payment: ₪99 in Israel, $39 elsewhere. No subscription.

Create a memorial page See an example page

Common questions

When do you light a yahrzeit candle?

At sunset on the evening before the Hebrew anniversary of the death. It burns for about a day, through the yahrzeit.

Can you blow out a yahrzeit candle?

It is customary to let it burn out by itself. If you have to leave and are worried about safety, an electric candle is the better choice.

Do you light a candle for the shloshim too?

Some do, on the day of the shloshim gathering. It is not required.