9th Annual Candle Lighting Ceremony (Worldwide Candle Lighting)

Each year on the second Sunday of December, Texas Children's Hospital holds its Annual Candle Lighting Ceremony in observance of Worldwide Candle Lighting Day, a global remembrance for children who have died. The 2026 ceremony, the 9th annual, falls on December 13. It offers grieving families a meaningful opportunity to gather in community, light candles in memory of their children, and share space with others who understand the profound weight of losing a child. The gathering is part of a worldwide wave of remembrance in which families across time zones light candles to honor sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, and grandchildren gone too soon. The ceremony is free and is open to families who have experienced the death of a loved one within the Texas Children's hospital system in the past year; invitations are sent by email to eligible families. Families who believe they should have received an invitation can reach out to the hospital's bereavement support team by email.