Walk into any Orthodox church a few minutes before the service and you will see the same small scene. Someone stops at the candle stand, takes a thin golden candle, lights it from another flame, and sets it before an icon. Then they cross themselves and step back. They have said nothing aloud, and yet everyone understands: that person has just prayed.
Why does such a simple act mean so much to us? And why does the Church have such old and stubborn love for candles made of beeswax?
In the Orthodox Church, light is never only decoration. Christ says, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (John 8:12). Every candle we light before an icon is a small confession of that faith. We are saying: Christ is our light, and we want to walk toward Him.
A candle is also an offering. It is something we give, however small. The flame burns down quietly while we stand there, and many people feel that it keeps praying for them after they have gone back to their seat, or back to work. Children understand this immediately. Give a child a candle in church and watch how carefully they carry it, as if it were the most important thing in the world. In a way, it is.
Most of all, a candle teaches us something about the heart. Wax melts when it is near the fire; it gives itself completely to become light. That is what we ask God to do with us in prayer: to soften what is hard in us and turn it into something warm and bright.
For centuries, Orthodox churches and monasteries have preferred candles of pure beeswax, and the reasons are both practical and spiritual. Beeswax burns slowly and steadily, with a soft golden flame and very little smoke. It does not drip and smoke the way cheap paraffin does, so it is kinder to the icons, to the walls, and to the people standing nearby.
Orthodox Christians have also long seen a beautiful symbolism here. Beeswax is gathered by countless bees from countless flowers; it is the fruit of patient, hidden labour. In the same way, the Church gathers the prayers of many people into one offering before God. Pure wax, without additives, has long been seen as an image of a pure and sincere heart, offered to the Lord without pretence.
And then there is the scent. Anyone who has lit a real beeswax candle knows that gentle honey-like fragrance that fills a room. It is not perfume. It is simply what natural wax smells like when it burns, and for many of us it is the smell of church itself, of Pascha night, of our grandmother's icon corner.
The candle does not belong only in church. An Orthodox home is called a "little church," and the icon corner is its altar. Lighting a candle there is one of the easiest ways to begin a habit of daily prayer. Here are a few simple moments when families light a beeswax candle at home:
You don't need to say anything complicated. Many people simply pray the words of the Psalm: "Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense" (Psalm 140:2), or the short prayer of the publican and the Jesus Prayer. The candle helps you slow down. While it is lit, the room feels different. The television and the telephone can wait.
A practical word: always place a votive candle in a proper votive cup or holder on a stable, heat-safe surface, keep it away from curtains and paper icons, and never leave a burning candle unattended or within reach of small children. Reverence and common sense go together.
Our Pure Beeswax Votive Candle has quietly become one of the most popular items in our store, and I think I understand why. It is exactly what an Orthodox candle should be: 100% pure, natural beeswax, with no additives and no artificial fragrance. Each candle weighs 58 grams and burns for about five hours, which is long enough for a full evening of prayer or a whole Vigil at home.
Its classic votive shape gives a bright, steady flame and fits easily into a glass or metal votive cup in your icon corner. Many of our customers in Toronto and across Canada tell us they light one every evening; others keep a few in a drawer for memorial days, feast days, and those hard moments in life when we suddenly need to pray. Because the candle is so simple and so honest, it also makes a lovely small gift for a godchild, a newly-baptized friend, or a family setting up their first prayer corner.
When you light it, you are joining a tradition that is as old as the Church herself: one small flame, one quiet prayer, offered before Christ and His saints.
If your icon corner has been dark for a while, let this be the week you light it again. Order your Pure Beeswax Votive Candle here, and remember that shipping is free on orders over $70, so it is easy to add incense, charcoal, or an icon for someone you love. May the Lord bless your home and your prayers.
Do I need a holder for the beeswax votive candle?
Yes. As the candle burns, the wax softens and melts, so it should always sit in a votive cup or holder on a stable, heat-safe surface. This keeps the flame steady and protects your icon corner from spills.
Is it right to light a candle at home, or only in church?
It is a long and good Orthodox custom to light a candle or vigil lamp before the icons at home, especially during morning and evening prayers. If you have questions about your own prayer rule, speak with your parish priest; he will be glad to guide you.
