Pink candle: meaning, traditions, uses and safe use

One pink, many pinks

The pink candle covers a wide range, from very pale pink (powder pink, baby pink) to fuchsia. It is obtained by diluting a red dye in the wax, or with a specific pink dye. Pastel shades need little dye, so they cause fewer wick problems than dark shades.

Pink is often perceived as gentle, childlike or romantic, but this image is recent and local. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, pink was sometimes recommended for boys (a softened form of red, judged manly) and blue for girls; the convention was reversed in the West in the second half of the twentieth century. This shows that a colour's symbolism is not natural.

A liturgical colour: the pink of joy

In the Roman Catholic liturgy, pink is used twice a year: on the third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete, “Rejoice”) and on the fourth Sunday of Lent (Laetare, “Rejoice”). These are pauses of joy within seasons of preparation, dominated by violet. In the Advent wreath, the third candle, pink, therefore marks joy; the other three are violet in many churches. If a parish has no pink vestments, it uses violet.

Symbolism and contemporary practice

In the colour tables of contemporary popular magic, the pink candle is linked to gentle love, friendship and tenderness towards oneself; this is a symbolic reading, with no proven effect. Some authors place love on red, others on pink, and heart chakras are variously associated with green or pink.

Roses, flowers and scents

Pink is the colour of the rose, and most pink candles smell of rose or a neighbouring flower. The Grasse region, in the Alpes-Maritimes, has long been renowned for its “May rose”, used in perfumery. Candle fragrances use both natural essential oils and synthetic compounds: the word “fragrance” on a label does not say which. Rose, peony and face-powder scents are among the most common in home decoration.

Pink is also the colour of many awareness campaigns and symbols of solidarity, which gives it varied meanings depending on the context. For a candle, what matters most is that its shade and scent please you.

How to use it

• Celebrations and gifts: Mother's Day, a birth, a birthday, a wedding, Valentine's Day.
• A soft mood: pink, in warm light, gives a tender atmosphere to a bedroom or living room.
• Time for yourself: a bath, a book, a gratitude journal, the candle as a marker of a pause.
• Advent: for the third candle of the wreath, if you follow the tradition.

Choosing and using safely

• Scent: many pink candles are scented. Fragrances may contain allergenic substances, listed on the label; if you are sensitive, ventilate the room or choose an unscented candle.
• Animals: some essential oils are toxic to cats and dogs; ask a veterinarian for advice before using scented candles near them.
• Shade: pastel colours cause few wick problems; very saturated fuchsias may need more dye.
• General rules: constant supervision, stable base, keeping clear of anything flammable, a snuffer rather than blowing, stop at about 1 cm of wax.

More details on waxes and scents are in the guide to candle colours.

Frequently asked questions

Also read

The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice. Back to Guide to candle colors.