Did You Ever Wonder: About the Origin of the Paschal Candle?

Lighting the paschal candle at
the Easter Vigil Mass.

I was staring at the paschal candle this morning at Mass thinking how much I love to see it there
during the Easter season and at baptisms and funerals when it reminds us so graphically that Jesus is the light of the world, our hope and salvation. Well, that set me to wondering when and where the custom of lighting the paschal candle originated. The short answer is...nobody knows for sure. In 384 St. Jerome wrote a letter to a deacon in Piacenza, Italy named Presidio describing a hymn that praised the candle and the Easter mystery. That indicates the custom was already well established.

According to Catholic Online:

The most likely origin is that it derived from the Lucernarium, the evening office with which early Christians began the vigil for every Sunday and especially that of Easter. In turn, this rite is probably inspired by the Jewish custom of lighting a lamp at the conclusion of the Sabbath. The rite therefore has its roots in the very beginning of Christianity. In the Lucernarium rite the light destined to dispel the darkness of night was offered to Christ as the splendor of the Father and indefectible light. This Sunday rite was logically carried out with greater solemnity during the Easter Vigil.