Can the christening candle be lit at home?

Yes, that is what it is for. Light it on the anniversary of the christening or at first Holy Communion, and only for a few minutes each time, so it lasts into adulthood.

What if the christening candle has snapped?

The symbol is not lost. You can gently warm the broken ends with a hair dryer and press them together, or wrap the pieces separately and keep them as they are.

Can a younger sibling use the same christening cloth?

The cloth or gown, yes — in many families it is handed down. The candle is personal: every child receives their own at the christening.

Does the christening candle need the child's name and date on it?

No. Decoration is a custom, not part of the service. But in twenty years a name and date will help everyone know whose candle it is.

What should I do with a ruined christening candle or cloth?

Not the bin. Traditionally, blessed items are burned or taken back to the parish, where they will be dealt with properly.

Back to blog

Christening candle and gown: what to do after the day

29/09/2026

What to do with the christening candle and gown afterwards: when to relight the candle, how to wash the fabric and how to pack both to survive a move.

Christening candle and gown: what to do after the day

Quick answer

The christening candle and the white garment (a gown, or often just a small white cloth) go home with you after the service — they belong to the child, unless the parish only lent them. The candle is kept for christening anniversaries and first Holy Communion, the garment for a younger sibling's christening or as a keepsake. To survive decades and a house move or two, the candle mainly needs a cool spot and a sturdy case, and the fabric needs the oil washed out, acid-free paper and no plastic.

Why the candle and garment are kept after a christening

Both are part of the service, not decoration. The white garment means the baptised person has "put on Christ", and the candle lit from the Easter (Paschal) candle means Christ has enlightened them — that is how the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains it in paragraph 1243. Parents and godparents receive the light with the task of keeping it burning until the child can do so themselves, which is why the candle comes back whenever the child renews their baptismal promises.

There is a practical side to this too: blessed objects do not go in the bin. If the candle or garment is ever truly ruined, the traditional options are to burn it or take it back to the parish. Until then, it is best to treat them like a family document — they should have their own place, a label and someone who knows where they are.

Christening cloth, gown or robe: what do you actually have?

"Christening garment" covers three different things in practice. Often it is a white cloth that the priest or a godparent lays on the baby's chest. Some families dress the baby in a full christening gown or robe, and in other churches the child receives only a white bib or stole. They all mean the same thing and need the same care.

Before you leave the church, ask the priest or the parish staff whether the cloth is yours to keep. Some parishes lend cloths and candles and expect them back — and that is hard to sort out after the fact. If it is yours, you can pass it on to a younger sibling or cousins. Families who do this embroider the initials and year of every child christened in it on the inside of the hem in fine thread; thirty years on, that is the most precious part of the whole piece.

When to light the christening candle again

The candle is not for the dinner table, but for moments that follow on from the christening. It only ever burns for a short while, so it lasts into adulthood.

Christening anniversary
Many families light it for a few minutes at the table or at evening prayers and tell the child who was at the christening and what happened that day. With little ones this works better than a birthday party — it is short and gives them a clear picture.
First Holy Communion
Many Catholic parishes ask children to bring their christening candle, because they renew their baptismal promises during the service. Check it a few weeks beforehand, not on the morning of the day. For gift and message ideas, see First Holy Communion: gifts, messages and inscriptions.
Confirmation and wedding
Some people take it to their confirmation or their wedding too. By then it is the teenager's or adult's own decision — and there has to be some candle left.
How to burn it so it lasts
Stand it on a saucer, because coloured wax drips from the decoration. Let it burn for just a few minutes, then trim the wick, and never let it burn down below the decoration with the name and date.

Candle and garment: what harms them and how to store them

Each is damaged by something different. The candle fears heat; the fabric fears light, damp and sharp folds.

	Christening candle	Christening gown and cloth
Worst enemy	heat — the wax softens and the candle bends well before it starts to melt	oil and milk stains, which turn yellow over the years
Light	the coloured decoration and print fade	white fabric yellows and the fibres weaken, especially silk
Packaging	a rigid tube or box lined with acid-free paper	a cotton pillowcase or box, layered with acid-free tissue paper
Avoid	cling wrap directly on the decoration — wax ornaments stick to it	plastic bags, fabric softener, starch and pins
Where at home	a cupboard in a living area, lying flat or upright in its case	a cupboard in a living area, never the roof space, garage or shed
How often to check	every few years; a white bloom on beeswax is normal and can be buffed off with a dry cloth	once a year take it out and refold it differently, so the fabric does not crack along the same fold

Straight after the service: five things before it goes in a box

1
Find out what is yours
The cloth and candle may belong to the parish. Return what needs returning straight away, and take home what is yours.
2
Wash the cloth within a week
The fabric often picks up chrism, the oil the priest uses to anoint the baby's head, plus milk or dribble. On fresh fabric it comes out easily; in ten years it becomes a yellow stain. Lukewarm water, gentle detergent, no bleach or fabric softener; dry flat and let it dry out completely.
3
Let the candle cool and clean it
Trim the wick, wipe the soot around it with a dry paper napkin, and wrap it only the next day, once the wax is hard all the way through.
4
Write a note
The date, the church, who performed the christening, who the godparents were, who decorated the candle. In twenty years nobody will remember. There is a template below.
5
Photograph both
The candle and the cloth separately, against a plain background. If something goes missing in a move, at least the picture remains — and the photo is handy for an album or a first-year photo book.

How to pack the candle and cloth for a move

Most christening candles do not perish in a box in the cupboard but during a move: in a hot removal truck, under a pile of books or in a box nobody unpacks for years.

1
Candle into a rigid case
Wrap it in acid-free paper, then bubble wrap, and put it in a poster tube or a wine bottle box. Pad out the gaps so it cannot move inside — candles mostly snap when they can knock against the sides.
2
Roll the cloth, don't fold it
Roll it around a paper tube, or put tissue paper in every fold, and slip it into a cotton pillowcase.
3
Both into one small box
Label it clearly: "christening keepsakes — keep away from heat, travelling with us". A small box does not get lost among a hundred identical ones.
4
Take it with you, not in the truck
In summer the back of a removal truck or a car parked in the sun gets hot enough to bend the candle. Carry the box in the cab or in the car you are travelling in.
5
Unpack it within a week
A new home is often damp for the first few weeks, and boxes sit on the floor. Check the candle and cloth, let the fabric air, and put them straight into their new spot.

One box for all the keepsakes from the early years

The candle and cloth mostly go missing when everything is kept in a different place. What works is one sturdy box in the living part of the home, which also holds a copy of the baptismal certificate (the original belongs with your documents, and if it is lost the parish can issue a new one from its register), photos from the christening, gifts from the godparents — what is usually given is covered in Christening gifts: who gives what and how to avoid doubling up — and perhaps a hand and foot print.

One day you will hand the box to your child — when they leave home, at their confirmation or at their wedding. Hand it over with the note and a few lines about that day. A candle without a story is just decorated wax; with a note it is a piece of family history.

A note for the christening keepsake box

Copy it and fill it in. The first note is a factual record, the second a short message for your child to read when they receive the box.

Record

Christening candle and cloth — [name], christened on [date] at [church name], [town or suburb]. Christened by [priest's or minister's name]. Godparents: [names]. Candle decorated by [who]. Also christened in this cloth: [name, year].

Message to your child

We lit this candle for you from the Easter light on the day of your christening. You cried for just a moment and then fell asleep in your godparent's arms. We kept it for you — now it is yours.

Sources

Catechism of the Catholic Church, para. 1243 (white garment and candle)
Paschal candle — Wikipedia
Chrism — Wikipedia
Baptismal clothing — Wikipedia
Caring for textiles and costumes — Canadian Conservation Institute