Origins

The inspiration for this site is memorial lists that are compiled and read aloud as congregations pray on behalf of their deceased members and loved ones.

The Blue Candle

Many people in the diabetes community follow the practice of lighting a blue candle in memory of someone — especially a child — who has passed away because of diabetes. This is in line with many cultures' traditions of lighting candles for the dead, whether to remember them or to light their way to the afterlife. The blue candle represents the blue of the World Diabetes Day logo.

These blue candles are not the same as the memorial candles associated with various religious traditions.

You do not have to be a friend or a family member to light a blue candle; you only have to care that a person has been taken from this life too early, and that it was because he or she had diabetes.

You can purchase World Diabetes Day blue candles from the International Diabetes Federation.