Light the Night comes to Bristol this Autumn

Light the Night, a unique event allowing people to remember their loved ones as part of a beautiful light display, will invite visitors to light one of hundreds of candles in two of Bristol’s most picturesque locations this November.

On the 6th November, hundreds of candles will be lit at Birdcage Walk in Clifton, followed by the beautiful grounds of St. Paul’s Church in Southville on the 13th November between 4-8pm. Everyone is invited to take a moment of contemplation and light a candle.

Light the Night echoes the traditions of All Souls Day and the Day of the Dead found in other parts of the world. It’s first event took place in Bristol in 2019 in the churchyard of St. Paul’s Church is Southville and saw thousands of candles being lit, creating a beautiful backdrop for people to pause and remember those they had lost.

The event’s founder George Grace said;

“This is an inclusive way for people to take a moment to honour their loved ones. Each person is given a candle to light in memory or celebration, and from early evening the chosen spaces are filled with individual candles which collectivity make a breathtaking sight.”

“Although some of the venues are churches or cathedrals, this really is for people of any faith or none and it is a beautiful and quite moving way to remember people close to us,” he said. “The feedback we had after the first event in 2019 was overwhelming and it inspired us to take Light the Night further afield.

“Halloween has become quite a raucous, commercial event and I feel Light the Night offers a more peaceful, contemplative alternative.

“Because of the Covid-19 pandemic people may have lost loved ones and families have been kept apart by social distancing and travel restrictions, so it seems more important than ever to cherish those closest to us.”

This year, organisers have partnered with bereavement charity, Cruse, and will be bringing Light the Night to three more locations as well as the original venue of St. Paul’s Church.

Cruse supports people who are going through bereavement, offering support services such as a helpline, one-to-one support and online assistance. The charity has more than 4,000 volunteers across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and helps tens of thousands of people each year who are going through the grief and pain that comes from losing someone they love. All four Light the Night events in 2021 will be raising money for this much-needed charity.

The four venues for 2021 are; All Saints Church, Clevedon, North Somerset (30th October), Birdcage Walk, Clifton, Bristol (6th November) St Paul’s Church, Southville, Bristol (13th November) and Bangor Cathedral, North Wales (13th November).