A candle is traditionally placed in an Irish window as a welcoming Christmas light.
The Irish Christmas candle tradition is associated with a candle burning in a window on Christmas Eve. It has been interpreted as a sign of welcome for travelers and as a symbolic welcome for Mary and Joseph, the Holy Family, seeking shelter. In some accounts, the candle also represented hospitality and remembrance.
The practice became particularly visible in Irish homes and was later connected with cultural and religious identity. President Mary Robinson renewed public attention to the custom when she lit a candle in Áras an Uachtaráin in 1990, reviving a tradition associated with Irish Christmas symbolism.
Modern families may use electric lights or other decorations instead, and practices vary across Ireland. The candle should not be confused with the Advent wreath, which uses multiple candles over the weeks before Christmas.