A candlelight vigil or candlelit vigil or candlelight service is an assembly of people carrying

candle A candle is an ignitable candle wick, wick embedded in wax, or another flammable solid substance such as tallow, that provides light, and in some cases, a Aroma compound, fragrance. A candle can also provide heat or a method of keeping time. ...

s, held after

sunset Sunset (or sundown) is the disappearance of the Sun at the end of the Sun path, below the horizon of the Earth (or any other astronomical object in the Solar System) due to its Earth's rotation, rotation. As viewed from everywhere on Earth, it ...

in order to

pray File:Prayers-collage.png, 300px, alt=Collage of various religionists praying – Clickable Image, Collage of various religionists praying ''(Clickable image – use cursor to identify.)'' rect 0 0 1000 1000 Shinto festivalgoer praying in front ...

, show support for a specific cause, or remember the dead, in which case, the event is often called a candlelight memorial. Such events may be held to protest the suffering of some marginalized group of people. A large candlelight vigil may have invited speakers with a

public address system A public address system (or PA system) is an electronic system comprising microphones, amplifiers, loudspeakers, and related equipment. It increases the apparent volume (loudness) of a human voice, musical instrument, or other acoustic sound sou ...

and may be covered by local or national

media Media may refer to: Communication * Means of communication, tools and channels used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Interactive media, media that is inter ...

. Speakers give their speech at the beginning of the vigil to explain why they are holding a vigil and what it represents.

Vigil A vigil, from the Latin meaning 'wakefulness' ( Greek: , or ), is a period of purposeful sleeplessness, an occasion for devotional watching, or an observance. The Italian word has become generalized in this sense and means 'eve' (as in "on t ...

s may also have a religious purpose that contains prayer and fasting. On Christmas Eve many churches hold a candlelight vigil. Candlelight vigils are seen as a nonviolent way to raise awareness of a cause and to motivate change, as well as uniting and supporting those attending the vigil.

Candlelight vigils in South Korea

In South Korea, the Candlelight vigils, or Candlelight protests is a symbolic collective gathering of political dissent in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

to combat injustice peacefully. This method of protesting began in 2002 as a result of the

Yangju highway incident The Yangju highway incident, also known as the Yangju training accident or Highway 56 Accident, occurred on June 13, 2002, in Yangju, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. A United States Army M60 AVLB, armored vehicle-launched bridge, returning to base in ...

, was utilized in the rallies against the impeachment of

Roh Moo-hyun Roh Moo-hyun (, ; 1 September 1946 – 23 May 2009) was a South Korean politician and lawyer who served as the ninth president of South Korea from 2003 to 2008. Roh's pre-presidential political career was focused on human rights advocacy for ...

in 2004, re-used again in the 2008 U.S. beef protests, and emerged in the 2016-18 President Park Geun-hye protests.

Virtual candlelight vigils

In the multiplayer video game '' EVE Online'', players hold "Cyno Vigils" in remembrance of players who have died.

Gallery

File:Candlelight-2001-125-30a.jpg, A pastor leads prayer in the Czech Brethren Church of John Amos Comenius for the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial (2001) File:22ndCandlelightVigil.NLEOM.WDC.13May2010.jpg, 2010

National Police Week Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week is an observance in the United States that pays tribute to the local, state, and federal peace officers who have died, or who have been disabled, in the line of duty. It is celebrated May 15 of each ye ...

22nd annual candlelight vigil at the

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is in Washington, D.C., at Judiciary Square, adjacent to the National Law Enforcement Museum. It honors 23,785 U.S. law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty throughout American hi ...

Judiciary Square Judiciary Square is a neighborhood in the northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C., the vast majority of which is occupied by various federal and municipal courthouses and office buildings. Judiciary Square is located roughly between Pennsylvania A ...

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

File:Cracow after Polish Air Force One crash 06.jpg, Candlelight vigil at the Katyń Memorial Cross at the

Church of St. Giles, Kraków Church of St. Giles () is a Roman Catholic church of the Dominican Order located on 67 Grodzka Street in Kraków, Poland. Its history dates to 11th century; it has been rebuilt many times since. History The original Church of St. Giles was ...

following the

Smolensk air disaster On 10 April 2010, a Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft operating Polish Air Force Flight 101 crashed near the Russian city of Smolensk, killing all 96 people on board. Among the victims were the president of Poland, Lech Kaczyński, and his wife, Maria ...

File:Kauhajoen koulusurma 28.jpg, A vigil in

Kauhajoki Kauhajoki (; “Scoop River”) is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Southern Ostrobothnia region, southwest of the city of Seinäjoki. The population of Kauhajoki is () an ...

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

, one day after the September 23, 2008 shooting incident File:Candelight Service at Westminster.jpg, Candlelight service at Andrews Memorial Chapel at

Westminster School (Connecticut) The Westminster School is a private, coeducational college-preparatory, boarding and day school located in Simsbury, Connecticut, United States, accepting around 20% of applicants. The total student population is approximately 400, and include ...

File:Candlelight Vigil for June 4 Massacre 2007 - 006.JPG, Every year from 1990 to 2019, people attended candlelight vigils on June 4 in

Victoria Park, Hong Kong Victoria Park ( zh, t=維多利亞公園, usually shortened as 維園, cy=Wàihdōleih'a Gūng'yún) is a public park in Causeway Bay, Wan Chai District, Hong Kong. The park is named after Queen Victoria, who has a statue in the park. It is ar ...

commemorating the victims of

1989 Tiananmen Square protests The Tiananmen Square protests, known within China as the June Fourth Incident, were student-led Demonstration (people), demonstrations held in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, lasting from 15 April to 4 June 1989. After weeks of unsucces ...

. This event can no longer be held. File:Candlelight Virgil in Lourdes, France, 2013.jpg, A candlelight vigil in

Lourdes, France Lourdes (, also , ; ) is a market town situated in the Pyrenees. It is part of the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France. Prior to the mid-19th century, the town was best known for its Château fort, a f ...

References

External links

{{Commons category, Candlelight vigils
American Medical Students Association, ''Planning Candle Light Vigils''

"Example Candle Light Vigil for the Little Ambassador"
Candles Death customs Meetings Protest tactics

Candlelight vigils in South Korea

Virtual candlelight vigils

Gallery

See also

References

External links