A yahrzeit candle, also spelled yahrtzeit candle or called a memorial 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 to burn through the entire occasion.

What is the purpose of a Yahrzeit?

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” in Yiddish means “anniversary” or more specifically “anniversary of a person's death”.

Where does the word Yahrzeit come from?

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.