![]() Irish Catholics began lighting candles in their windows and leaving their doors unlocked at Christmas as a sign it was safe for a priest to visit under the cover of darkness.” They tell that for Christians, the candles lit at Christmastime represent the Star of Bethlehem that led the wise men to Jesus.Īs we ponder the idea of lighting candles at Christmas time, we cannot ignore the connection to advent. As a result, the priests went underground, traveling and worshipping in secret. “The tradition grew from the Irish whose faith was outlawed by British priests attempting to repress the Irish Catholics, preventing them from practicing their faith. They say that putting candles in the windows dates back to colonial times in the UK. Sash Windows from London share history on Christmas candles. They later are said to commemorate this tradition with candles. ![]() The group would minister and spend time together with those visiting. Woodward News shares that it is said in Germany that churches would light fires on the sides of the road to welcome those who were traveling to get warm. History of Christmas Candles and Candlelight Services As we go out into the darkness of the world, we have the Light of Christ within us shining. As we come together every time in community to worship the Lord, our lights combine into a brighter impact. We even see this visually in Acts 2:3 when the Holy Spirit enters at Pentecost like tongues of fire on the believers. ![]() We are provided with a visual of what is happening around the earth as one person accepts Jesus as Savior, they add a new light into the world. We are provided with a time to show great awe and high esteem to Jesus. If we simply attend a Christmas candlelight service as a tradition and go into the church inattentive, we miss the power of what we are participating in. This is the power of Jesus’ work among the body of Christ. Our small candles make a tiny difference in the darkness, however as we find ourselves in a vast room with many little lights, our light as a whole becomes a brilliant scene of illumination among us. I think back to the children’s worship song, “This Little Light of Mine.” We are called to shine for Christ with our individual lives.
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