Paschal candle
Quick Summary
The Paschal candle, also known as the Easter candle, is a large white candle that is lit in a church sanctuary on the evening before Easter. It remains burning throughout the Easter season.12
The term "Paschal" relates to Passover, a significant event in Judaism commemorating the Exodus from Egypt. In early Jewish history, a lamb was sacrificed during Passover. This tradition has symbolic connections in Christianity, where Christ is referred to as the Paschal lamb.3
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EasterLiturgical observances…of lights focused on the Paschal candle; the service of lessons called the prophecies; the administration of the sacraments of baptism and confirmation to adult converts; and the Easter mass. The use of the Paschal candle, to denote the appearance of light out of darkness through the Resurrection, was first…
Read More…of lights focused on the Paschal candle; the service of lessons called the prophecies; the administration of the sacraments of baptism and confirmation to adult converts; and the Easter mass. The use of the Paschal candle, to denote the appearance of light out of darkness through the Resurrection, was first…
Read More- church yearEaster
…for the blessing of the Paschal candle (the Exultet)—symbol of the driving away of the powers of darkness and death by the Passover of the Lord. There followed a series of lessons from the Old Testament and a homily. Then, toward midnight, while the faithful were engaged in prayers, candidates…
Read More…for the blessing of the Paschal candle (the Exultet)—symbol of the driving away of the powers of darkness and death by the Passover of the Lord. There followed a series of lessons from the Old Testament and a homily. Then, toward midnight, while the faithful were engaged in prayers, candidates…
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ceremonial objectLighting devicesThe Easter (Paschal) candle, made of beeswax around a wood core, had a candleholder appropriate to its size. At Westminster, England, during the 14th century, a candela rotunda (“round candle”) was the centre of a “festival of lights” during the feast of the purification of the Virgin…
Read MoreThe Easter (Paschal) candle, made of beeswax around a wood core, had a candleholder appropriate to its size. At Westminster, England, during the 14th century, a candela rotunda (“round candle”) was the centre of a “festival of lights” during the feast of the purification of the Virgin…
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