A first communion candle is the candle your child carries or keeps on their first communion day, as a reminder of their baptism. It's a lovely custom, but not every parish uses one, so your first step is a quick message to the catechist to ask what your parish does. If you buy your own, a candle about 10 inches tall is the safe choice, because your child can hold it steady while walking.
Ask the parish catechist before you buy anything
About six weeks before the big day is the right time to send one short message. You can start with something like: “Hi, my child is in this year's first communion class, and I have a few quick questions about the candle.” These are the questions that really change what you buy:
- Does the program provide the candle, or do families buy their own?
- Is there a required height, width or style?
- Will the candles be lit during Mass, or carried unlit?
- Are decorated candles welcome, or does the parish want them plain and all the same?
- Can we put the child's name and the date on the candle?
Every parish does this a little differently. Some buy the same candle for every child, so no one shows up with something fancier than the rest. Some give you a size and let you choose the rest. Some don't use candles at all. For everything else you need to prepare, our first communion guide for parents walks you through the timeline.
How tall should a first communion candle be?
Most first communion candles are about 10 to 12 inches tall and about 1 to 1.5 inches thick. There's no Church rule behind these sizes: they're simply what fits a child's hands and standard holders. Height matters because a child of seven or eight has to hold the candle steady while walking.
- About 10 inches is the safe choice for a candle your child will carry in the procession.
- Up to 15 inches is fine if the candle will only stand on a table or in a holder.
- Much taller than 12 inches, the candle gets top heavy and wobbles in small hands.
- Very thin candles bend in a warm church and lean in the holder.
- If the candle will be lit while your child holds it, add a wax catcher so hot wax doesn't drip onto little fingers.
Here's a free test you can do at home: a few days before, hand your child the candle and have them walk down a hallway holding it with both hands. If it wobbles at home, it will wobble in the aisle.
Wax, paraffin or beeswax in a first communion candle set
Paraffin is the most common wax in decorated candles. It's affordable, bright white, and holds color and decorations well. Beeswax is the traditional wax for church candles: it's naturally golden, or ivory if it's bleached, it burns slower and cleaner, and it costs quite a bit more. Many candles are a blend, so if beeswax matters to you, look for a percentage on the label, not just the word.
Soft plant waxes like soy bend in a tall, thin candle. But for a candle that burns for ten minutes and then stays in a box for twenty years, how you store it matters more than the wax. Compare finishes in our devotional candles.
A first communion candle set usually comes with a holder and sometimes a box. The best sign of a good set is a sturdy box you can keep the candle in afterward, and that's worth more than extra trinkets. Our first communion sets are made that way.
Plain, decorated, engraved, or a first communion candle and Bible set
Plain or decorated is up to you and your parish. The most common designs are the chalice and host, a cross, wheat and grapes, the letters IHS (the first letters of Jesus' name in Greek), or a dove. Raised decorations should sit well below the part of the candle that burns, since they can soften as the wax warms up.
Putting your child's name and the date on the candle is completely normal, and it's what makes the candle easy to recognize twenty years from now. It's not required, and a plain candle can be used again at confirmation without looking dated. If you personalize it, order early: two to three weeks is a common wait, and a misspelled name can't be fixed once it's cut into the wax.
A first communion candle and Bible set is a favorite pairing, especially as a gift from godparents. Choose a Catholic edition, since it includes a few books that other Bibles leave out, and look for print your child can actually read. Our Catholic Bibles are sized for that.
What happens with the candle during Mass
If your parish uses candles, here's what you might see. Every parish does it its own way, so yours may do only some of these:
- The children carry the candle, usually unlit, in the opening procession.
- The candles rest in holders at the pew or near the altar.
- When they're lit, it's often during the renewal of baptismal promises, after communion, or at the final blessing.
- Some parishes light them from the Paschal candle, the big Easter candle, to show the link with baptism.
- Many parishes never light them at all, because an open flame in a church full of little kids in white clothes is a real fire risk.
Wherever you are, two safety rules always apply. An adult should light the candle and put it out, never the child. And your child should hold it with both hands at chest height, away from a veil or a sleeve.
Storing the candle, relighting it, and first communion candle favors
Heat and sunlight are what ruin candles. An attic, a garage, a parked car or a sunny windowsill will bend the wax and fade the decoration in a single summer. A closet inside the house solves it.
- Let the wax cool and harden completely before you touch it.
- Wipe off any drips and trim the wick to about a quarter inch.
- Wrap the candle in plain tissue paper so nothing presses into it.
- Lay it flat with support, or stand it upright, inside a sturdy box.
- Write your child's name and the date on the box, and keep it in a cool, dark closet.
You don't have to light it again, but it's a lovely family custom, because it keeps the day tied to the sacrament and not just the party. Families light it on the anniversary of the first communion, at confirmation, and during evening prayer in Advent or Lent. When you light it, you can repeat the words from baptism, “Receive the light of Christ,” and pray an Our Father together. Light it for a few minutes each time and it will last for decades.
First communion candle favors are the small candles you give guests at the party. They're usually 2 to 4 inches tall, in a little box with a tag showing your child's name and the date. Choose unscented ones and put them in a container so they can't stain a tablecloth. Ordering favors for a party of a hundred guests? Ask about quantity pricing instead of buying them one at a time. The same goes if you run the catechism program and need a candle for every child in the class. For more ideas, see our first communion gift ideas.
What a first communion candle symbolizes
The candle is a reminder of your child's baptism. That day, a candle was lit from the Paschal candle and handed to you or the godparents with the words “Receive the light of Christ.” Bringing a candle to first communion carries that same light into this new day. Our guide to baptism candles tells you more about that first candle.
The Paschal candle is the big candle blessed at the Easter Vigil and lit at baptisms and funerals all year. So if your parish lights the children's candles from it, that's on purpose. Not every parish uses a candle at first communion, and that's okay. It's common in some countries, rare in others, and it can even change between two parishes in the same city. If your parish asks for a certain height or wax, just follow what they ask. Whether your family buys the candle, the parish hands one out, or there's no candle at all, your child's day is just as complete.
First communion candles and sets
Complete sets with a Spanish Catholic Bible, a candle and a rosary for girls and boys, plus first communion candles on their own, made in Mexico.
Arrives in 2 to 4 days. Free shipping on orders over $35.
Frequently asked questions
What does the first communion candle symbolize?
It's a reminder of the light of Christ your child received at baptism, carried into their first communion day. The baptism candle, lit from the big Easter candle called the Paschal candle, is the one with the deepest meaning. Many parishes carry that meaning into first communion, and if yours doesn't use a candle, that's perfectly fine.
What size candle is used for first communion?
Most first communion candles are about 10 to 12 inches tall and about 1 to 1.5 inches thick. There's no Church rule on size, though some parishes set their own. A child of seven or eight has to hold the candle steady while walking in the procession, and much past 12 inches it gets top heavy and wobbles.
Who carries and lights the candle during Mass?
Where parishes use a candle, the child usually carries it, most often unlit, and an adult lights it: a parent, a godparent, a catechist or the priest. Your parish decides how it's done. Many parishes never light the candles at all, because an open flame near little kids in white clothes is a real fire risk.
Can the baptism candle be reused for first communion?
Yes. There's no rule against it, and it's a beautiful choice, because the baptism candle is the one with the deepest meaning. Using it again shows the link between the two sacraments in a real way. Just check that there's enough wax left and that your parish doesn't want the same candle for every child.
How should the candle be stored after the celebration?
Keep it in a closed box inside the house, away from heat and sunlight, standing upright or lying flat with support. An attic, a garage, a car or a sunny windowsill will bend the wax and fade the decoration. Let the wax cool completely, trim the wick, wrap the candle in plain tissue paper, and write the date on the box.
Does the parish provide the first communion candle, or do parents buy it?
It depends on your parish, so it's the first thing to ask. Some programs buy the same candle for the whole class and include the cost in the program fee, so no child shows up with something fancier. Others ask families to buy their own in a set size, and some don't use candles at all.
Is it appropriate to engrave the child's name and date on the candle?
Yes. Adding your child's name and the date is common and completely fine. It turns the candle into a keepsake your family will recognize years from now. Just check that your parish doesn't want plain, matching candles, and order early, since personalized candles often take two to three weeks.
Who traditionally gives the first communion candle as a gift?
Most often the godparents, though there's no rule and no single tradition everywhere. In many families the godparents give the candle, a first Bible, or both, since their role began at baptism and the candle carries that same meaning. Parents, grandparents or the parish may provide it instead, so ask before you buy.
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