Cosme e Damião (Ibeji / Erês) Candle
Protection of children, joy in the home and the sweetness of Ibeji, Doum and the Ibejada
Cosme e Damião (Ibeji / Erês) Candle
7-day candle · stays lit for 7 days7 dias
The Cosme and Damião candle has wax that is half pink and half blue, the two colors that people associate with children. Those who grew up in Brazil know the custom through the candy bag in September, but the candle goes beyond the party: it is lit by mothers, grandmothers and godmothers all year round, whenever there is a little one to protect or a home that has lost its laughter.
In the fundamento, the candle belongs to Ibeji, the sacred twins of Yoruba origin, whom syncretism brought close to the medical saints Cosme and Damião. The most told itan says that Oxum (Oshun) raised the boys on the riverbanks, and therefore many houses consecrate the candle near her. The colors also vary: there are terreiros that dress the twins in the colors of the parents, Xangô (Shango) and Iansã (Oya). In Umbanda, the one who receives this light is the Ibejada, the Children line, together with Doum, the third boy who appears next to the twins in the statues.
Ibeji, erê and Catholic saint are not the same thing, and it is worth remembering this when lighting. The candle does not perform miracles for those who do not care: it accompanies the affection you already give to your own. It is a light of gratitude, of simple prayer request and of joy, and it does not serve for demanda nor to bind anyone's will.
What is it for
What is the Cosme and Damião Candle (Ibeji / Erês) for?
The pink and blue candle of Cosme and Damião is for the children. In the terreiro it goes to Ibeji, the twin orixás (orishas), and to the Ibejada of Umbanda, and serves to protect the little ones, bring lightness to the house, and make peace in the family.
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Protect babies and children
For the newborn, the child who is about to start school, or the grandchild who lives far away. The candle requests that the Ibejada watch over the steps of those who are still small.
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Bring joy back to the house
When the home became heavy, with people silent and with closed faces, the light of the Children helps bring back the laughter, the conversation at the table, and the desire to be together.
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Make peace in the family
Siblings fighting, parents and children not speaking to each other. The twins teach that one does not live without the other, and the candle accompanies the first step of those who want to reconnect.
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Care for the child we were
For those who carry old hurts from childhood. Lighting it for the Erês is a way to look at this pain with affection, along with the support of those who know how to treat it.
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Pay a promise to Cosme and Damião
A fulfilled prayer request usually returns in a candle and sweets shared with the children on the street. It is the traditional way to thank the twin saints and the Ibejada.
Who rules this candle
Orixás and spirits of the Cosme and Damião Candle (Ibeji / Erês)
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Ibeji
The sacred twins of childhood
Ibeji rules everything that is born in pairs, joy, and childhood. Pink and blue became the popular colors of the twins, Sunday is the most cited day, and the September festival takes place under the name of Cosme and Damião.
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Oxum
The mother who welcomed the twins in the river
In the best known itan, Oxum finds the twins left by Iansã and raises them as children, but there are houses that give another mother to the Ibeji. Therefore, the Children's candle stays near her in many houses, in requests for fertility, pregnancy, and care for the little ones.
Know Oxum
Also settled for
- Saints Cosmas and Damian
- Doum
- Ibejada (Children's line)
- Pedrinho da Praia
- Mariazinha
- Crispim da Cachoeira
Prayer to light
Candle prayer of Cosme and Damião for the children
“Saint Cosme, Saint Damião, and Doum, boys of light, receive this candle that I light with the heart of a child. Ibeji, sacred twins, place your hands over the little ones of this house and of my entire family. May none of them walk alone, may they sleep in peace and wake up with the desire to play. Take away from here the sadness that hardened us adults and return the laughter that haste stole. Mother Oxum, who raised the boys by the river, cover with your love those I love. In exchange, I promise to share the sweetness I receive and care for the children who cross my path. Bejirô! Hail the Children!”Light the candle and pray
Step by step
How to set the Cosme and Damião Candle (Ibeji / Erês)
- 1
Set up a cheerful little corner
A low table, covered with a light cloth, away from curtains. If you have the statue of Cosme and Damião or of the Ibeji, place it behind the candle, facing the house.
- 2
Sweeten the water
Mix the sugar or the honey in the water in the glass and leave it next to the saucer. The sweetened water is a favor to the Children and receives the weight that the flame removes from the environment.
- 3
Arrange the sweets in pairs
The twins are identical, so no sweet should be larger than the other. Separate the candies in even quantities, all of the same type, and distribute them around the saucer.
- 4
Light it calling by name
Light with a match and call São Cosme, São Damião and Doum. Say the name of the child you are requesting for and say the prayer calmly, without a memorized formula.
- 5
Share the sweetness at the end
Do not blow: if needed, smother the flame with a saucer. When the candle is finished, give the sweets to children, the water goes into the soil of a pot, and the leftover wax, wrapped, goes to the trash.
Precautions before lighting
- Child candle calls a child: keep the saucer out of reach of little ones and animals, and do not leave sweets next to the flame so no one gets burned.
- Ibeji firmeza with fundamento, obrigação or assentamento is a matter for the zelador of your terreiro. The house candle is devotion, it does not replace the house of the orixás (casa de santo).
- If the request is for a child's health, the candle accompanies the pediatrician and the treatment, it never takes their place. Always follow medical guidance.
- Offering sweets are to be shared with children, not to be spoiled on the plate. Remove what is left when the candle ends, so ants do not gather.
Ceromancy
What the flame of the Cosme and Damião Candle (Ibeji / Erês) shows
Traditional terreiro reading. Before interpreting, check if there is no wind, crooked wick, or poor quality candle.
- Good sign
Living flame, that dances joyfully
It is the expected burning in a child candle: movement without smoke, like someone playing. Many houses read it as a sign that the Ibejada accepted the request.
- Good sign
Wick that forms a little button
A small bright lump at the tip of the wick is read by many people as the presence of the Children nearby. Let the candle continue and give thanks.
- Attention
Wax dripping from only one side
It could just be the wind or a crooked candle. If not, some houses read it as an imbalance between two people. Talk to the one who has been distant from you.
- Attention
Low flame and dark smoke
The environment may be heavy with sadness. Take a herbal bath with sweet herbs, change the water, and light another candle. If it repeats, seek a terreiro.
- Observe
Candle that goes out before the end
First check if there is a draft or a drowned wick. Light it again, call the Crianças by name, and redo the prayer request without anxiety.
Ritual bath and smoke cleansing (defumação)
Herbs that combine with the Cosme and Damião Candle (Ibeji / Erês)
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chamomile
Matricaria chamomilla
Herb of Ibeji, Oxalá, and Oxum, which calms without weighing down. A warm tea or a chamomile bath before lighting leaves the heart peaceful for prayer.
See the herb -
Anise / Fennel
Pimpinella anisum
Scent of childhood. Some seeds on the saucer or in sweetened water combine with the prayer request for joy and lightness inside the house.
See the herb -
Melissa
Melissa officinalis
Calming leaf, good for the ritual bath of someone who is irritated and lacks patience with the children. It helps to set the candle with a peaceful mind.
See the herb -
Orange leaf
Citrus sinensis
Herb of Oxum, Oxalá, and Ibeji. A warm ritual bath of orange leaves calms the restless child and the house before lighting.
See the herb
Virtual Candle
Light the Cosme and Damião Candle (Ibeji / Erês) now
Choose the type, write your request, and pay by PIX. The flame stays on the altar and you follow along through the link.
Place on the altarFrequently asked questions
Questions about the Cosme and Damião Candle (Ibeji / Erês)
What is the best day to light the Cosme and Damião candle?
Sunday is the most cited day for Ibeji and for the Children. During the year, the strong date is September 27, when Umbanda celebrates Ibejada. The Church moved the memory to the 26th in 1969, but the people kept the 27th. Aside from that, the candle can be lit whenever there is a child to protect.
Are Ibeji, Erê, and Cosme and Damião the same thing?
No. Ibeji is the orixá of the twins. Erê, in Umbanda, is the child spirit that comes in the gira; in Candomblé, it is the infantile state of the initiate's own orixá. Cosme and Damião are Catholic saints, doctors, and brothers. Syncretism united the devotions in the festival, but each has its own origin.
Who is Doum, the third child in the statue?
Doum is the boy who appears next to the twins in Brazilian statues of Cosme and Damião. The name comes from Idowu, as the Yorubas call those born after twins, and for this reason many houses treat him as the younger brother. He receives the same candle and is called by name at the time of lighting.
Can I light the Cosme and Damião candle at home without being from a terreiro?
You can. Devotion to the twin saints is popular and crosses religions, and the home candle does not require initiation. The care is with the fire and with the tradition: an obligation (obrigação) for Ibeji or work with Erê is done in the terreiro, guided by the zelador.
Can I blow out the Cosme and Damião candle and light it again?
You can, as long as you do not blow it out. Smother the flame with a saucer or a spoon and light it again when you return. Blowing is understood as undoing the prayer request with your own breath. For the 7-day candle, try to leave it in a safe place so that it burns continuously.
What to do with the sweets and the water after the candle finishes?
The sweets are given to children, preferably to those in need, who are the spirit of the September festival. The sweetened water goes to the soil of a pot or a garden, and the cup is washed. The leftover wax goes to the trash wrapped in paper.
What is the difference between the Cosme and Damião candle and the blue and pink candle?
The color is the same, but the Cosme and Damião one carries the label of the saints and is dedicated directly to the twins and to the Ibejada, great for a promise and for the festival week. The simple blue and pink one serves prayer requests for the children and for the family without naming the devotion.
