An old tradition
Candles have been part of remembering the dead for a very long time, in many different traditions. In Jewish homes, a yahrzeit candle is lit on the anniversary of a death and left to burn for a day. In many churches, people light a candle for someone they’ve lost, and All Souls’ Day on 2 November is set aside to remember the dead. During Día de los Muertos in Mexico, families light candles on altars for relatives who have died. Every year on 15 October, during Baby Loss Awareness Week, people around the world light a candle at 7pm to remember babies who have died. As 7pm reaches each time zone, it creates a “wave of light”.
A candle doesn’t need words. Lighting one is a way of saying you’re thinking of someone, even when you can’t say much else.
Why people light candles online
Lighting a candle online is a way of doing something familiar when the usual places aren’t available. People choose it for different reasons:
- It doesn’t burn out. A real candle lasts a few hours. A digital one can stay lit for years.
- You can do it from anywhere. There’s nowhere to travel to and no opening hours. That matters if the grave is far away, if there isn’t one, or if it’s hard for you to get out.
- It’s safe. Many hospitals, care homes and hospices don’t allow naked flames, but you can light an online candle from a bedside.
- It can be shared. Family and friends in different places can all see the same candle, and light their own.
- It’s somewhere to go back to. You can return to it on anniversaries, birthdays or hard days.
How the pandemic changed things
During the COVID-19 lockdowns, funerals in the UK were limited to small numbers, and many people couldn’t say goodbye in person. Families found other ways to grieve together: watching services online, gathering on video calls and lighting candles online. For many, those habits have stayed. They sit alongside funerals and graves rather than replacing them.
What a digital candle can’t do
A digital candle is a small thing, and it’s worth being honest about that. It won’t replace a funeral, a grave or the people around you. It won’t make grief go away, and it isn’t a substitute for support if you’re struggling. What it can do is give you a simple, lasting way to mark someone’s life, and somewhere to go when you want to remember them.
How it works on The Bridge of Lights
On The Bridge of Lights, every candle sits on a single bridge, alongside lights for hundreds of other people who were loved. You can light one for £1 with their name, their years if you’d like, and a short message. It stays on the bridge permanently, with no subscription. We’ll email you a candle number so you can find it again, and anyone can search for a candle by name.
If it feels right, you can also choose a coloured flame that means something to them, add their favourite song or get a printable certificate. Ten pence from every pound goes to UK bereavement charities.
A small light that stays
People light candles because it’s one of the simplest ways to say “I remember you”. Doing it online doesn’t change what that means. It just means the light stays where you can find it.