Daily AncestorSnuffed candle
A snuffed or broken candle on a gravestone means a life put out; a lit candle stands for life and the soul.
Colonial carvers used a candle flame for life and a candle being snuffed for death. Victorian stones keep the idea, and a broken candle there marks a death that came too early.
In Christian use a lit candle can also stand for Christ as the light of the world. Catholic families sometimes leave real candles at graves to show prayers were said, which is a separate custom from a carved one.
As seen in a recordNew England or Middle Atlantic churchyard, 1720 to 1850
Candle with its flame going out, above the name: Miss Clarissa Bentwood, died Sept 9 1803, aged 19 years
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Snuffed candle." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/gravestone-symbols/snuffed-candle. Last checked 2026-10-15.