Candle Evening at Riga Cemeteries in 2026: Date and How to Prepare the Grave

Candle Evening (Svecīšu vakars), Latvia's Day of Remembrance of the Dead, is the quietest and at the same time the busiest evening of the year at Riga cemeteries: families tidy the graves, cover them with spruce branches and light candles. In 2026 it falls on Sunday, 22 November — Eternity Sunday, the last Sunday of the church year before Advent. Below: how to prepare the grave in advance, what to bring and what to do if you cannot come.

If the grave has not been tended for a year, or the cross or headstone needs straightening, a specialist of Riga City Funeral Service will tell you what can be done in time. Advice around the clock: +371 2944 9849

When Candle Evening takes place in 2026

In Riga the Day of Remembrance is traditionally marked on Eternity Sunday, with services and moments of remembrance held at the municipal cemeteries. Some parishes, and towns outside Riga, hold their candle evenings as early as October, so it is worth checking the notice from the cemetery administration for your own cemetery. Two different occasions are easy to confuse:

Cemeteries close earlier in autumn than in summer, and Candle Evening draws crowds — it is best to arrive before dark. For the list of Riga cemeteries and their locations, see the cemeteries section.

How to prepare the grave for Candle Evening

The grave is usually put in order a week or two beforehand, while the weather still allows work:

1. rake up fallen leaves and old grass, weed the grave mound;
2. trim overgrown shrubs and remove withered flowers;
3. wash the memorial plaque and check that the cross or headstone has not tilted;
4. level the mound and cover it with fresh spruce branches;
5. in the evening, place the candles and a wreath or flowers.

Spruce cover is more than tradition: it protects the mound from being washed out by winter rain and snow. Wreaths and grave covers can be chosen in the wreaths and baskets section.

If you cannot travel to Riga

Many families live abroad or at the other end of Latvia and cannot come in November. This is exactly what a one-off tidy-up before the cemetery holidays is for: we clear the leaves and branches, weed and level the mound and wash the headstone. What needs doing before Candle Evening is agreed when you order, and afterwards we send a photograph so you can see the result. For how one-off and regular tending work, see our news item on grave care in Riga.

What to bring to Candle Evening

• candles in a glass holder or lantern — they stay lit in wind and rain;
• spruce branches or a ready-made wreath;
• work gloves, a bag for leaves and a small rake;
• a torch — cemeteries are usually unlit;
• water for washing the memorial plaque.

Call +371 2944 9849 — we will say what can realistically be done before 22 November and fix the price in an estimate before any work begins.

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