You don’t have to, but you probably should. A vigil lamp isn’t required like baptism or communion, but it’s one of those ancient practices that most Orthodox families keep because it does something real in your prayer life.
A vigil lamp is a small oil-burning lamp you place before your icons at home. It’s the same thing you see flickering in front of icons at church. The flame represents Christ, who called himself the Light of the World. When you light that lamp, you’re making a small offering, marking your home as a place where prayer happens and where Christ’s light shines.
Why bother with an oil lamp in 2025?
Fair question. We’ve got electric lights. But there’s something different about a living flame that you have to tend. You can’t just flip a switch. You fill it with oil, trim the wick, light it with intention. It requires something from you, which is the point.
The lamp also keeps you mindful. When you walk past your icon corner and see that flame burning, it reminds you to pray. It’s a physical sign that your household belongs to Christ. In the Old Testament, God commanded that a lamp burn continually before the Ark of the Covenant. We’re doing something similar, keeping a light before the icons of Christ and his saints.
And there’s the symbolism of vigilance. Remember the parable of the ten virgins? Five were wise and kept their lamps burning, ready for the bridegroom. Five were foolish and let their lamps go out. We’re supposed to be the wise ones, watchful and ready. A vigil lamp burning in your home is a small, daily way of practicing that readiness.
So when do you light it?
Some families keep their lamp burning all the time. Others light it during morning and evening prayers, or just in the evenings. Some light it on Sundays and feast days. There’s no single rule handed down from Mount Sinai about this.
Start simple. Light it when you pray. If you’re establishing a prayer rule at home (and you should be), light the lamp when you stand before your icons. That creates a rhythm. Over time, you might find yourself wanting to keep it lit more often. During Bright Week after Pascha, many Orthodox families keep their lamps burning continuously for forty days. But if you’ve got three kids under five and you’re working rotating shifts at the refinery, continuous might not be realistic. God understands.
Use olive oil if you can get it. It’s traditional, it burns clean, and it has biblical resonance. You can order proper lamp oil online or sometimes find it at Orthodox bookstores. The lamp itself can be simple or ornate. What matters is that it’s stable, safe, and placed respectfully before your icons.
A word about safety
This is an open flame. Don’t put it where toddlers can reach it, where the cat can knock it over, or near curtains. If you’re leaving the house, blow it out unless you’ve got a very secure setup. Some families use a hanging lamp for this reason. Common sense applies. The goal is to sanctify your home, not burn it down.
What if I can’t?
Maybe you’re renting and your lease prohibits open flames. Maybe you’ve got a medical situation where oxygen tanks are involved. Maybe you’re just not there yet. That’s okay. You can start with a candle you light during prayers and blow out after. Or even an electric lamp as a placeholder until circumstances change. The lamp is a help, not a test you pass or fail.
But if you can have one, try it. There’s something about that small, steady flame that changes the feel of your prayer corner. It makes the space sacred in a tangible way. And on those nights when you’re too tired or distracted to pray well, that lamp is still burning, still offering something to God when your words fall short.
St. Seraphim of Sarov kept a lamp burning before his icons in his forest cell. So did countless generations of Orthodox Christians in Russian villages, Greek islands, and Antiochian communities across the Middle East. Now you can too, right here in Beaumont. It connects you to that unbroken chain of prayer and light stretching back two thousand years.
If you want to start, talk to someone at church who already keeps a lamp. They’ll show you the practical bits: how to fill it, how to keep the wick trimmed, where to buy supplies. It’s simpler than it sounds. And once that flame is burning in your home, you’ll wonder how you prayed without it.
