As long as the candle burns

People have been lighting candles for spiritual purposes for centuries. In Ancient Greece such candles were lit in the hope of a prosperous year. The Romans rather used candles to honor their gods. Pagan tribes, such as the Franks, Friezen and Batavi, developed a more direct bond with their gods. They used candles to request specific favors. Even now, lighting candles is a daily, global practice. This story chronicles what votive candles mean to Eliza Oudshoorn, a devoted Catholic woman who volunteers at the Heilige Lodewijkkerk in Leiden.