Ceremonial use of lights
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The ceremonial use of lights occurs in liturgies of various Christian Churches, as well as in Jewish, Zoroastrian, and Hindu rites and customs.
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Fire is used as an object of worship in many religions. Fire-worship still has its place in at least two of the great religions of the world. The Zoroastrians revere fire as the visible expression of Ahura Mazda, the eternal principle of light and righteousness; the Hindus worship it as divine and omniscient.[1] One of the most popular festivals of Hinduism, Diwali (from the Sanskrit dīpāwali meaning "row or series of lights") symbolizes the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance".[2][3][4][5]
According to the Talmud and Kabbalah, in the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle, there was a cloud of light (shekinah), and before it stood the candlestick with six branches, on each of which and on the central stem was a lamp eternally burning; while in the forecourt was an altar on which the sacred fire was never allowed to go out. Similarly the Jewish synagogues have each their eternal lamp.[1]