Wave of Light 2026: Honouring Every Baby We Have Lost

On the 15th of October each year, at 7pm in every timezone, bereaved parents and those who love them light a candle. The flame passes from country to country, continent to continent, creating a wave of light that circles the entire globe in a continuous 24-hour memorial.

The Wave of Light is one of the most powerful collective grief rituals of our time. It says: we see you. We remember your baby. You are not alone in this.

The Origin of the Wave of Light

International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day has been observed on October 15th since 1988, when it was formally designated in the United States following advocacy by bereaved parent groups. The Wave of Light candle-lighting ritual has since grown into a global phenomenon, observed in more than 40 countries.

In Australia, Baby Loss Awareness Month encompasses the full month of October, with October 15th at its heart. SANDS Australia, Red Nose, and numerous local support groups host events and provide community for bereaved families throughout the month.

This Year's Wave of Light

Whether you light your candle alone in your home, at a public ceremony, or in a virtual gathering with an online community - the act is the same. You are saying: my baby existed. My baby mattered. I carry their memory.

• Choose a candle that feels meaningful - perhaps one in your baby's favourite colour, or one you have kept specifically for this occasion.
• Create a small altar or space around the candle - a photo, a keepsake, a flower.
• Invite someone who also knew and loved your baby to light a candle with you.
• Share your candle online if you feel comfortable - the collective image of a wave of light is profoundly moving.
• Simply sit with the flame and let yourself remember.

A Memorial Keepsake for October 15th

Many bereaved parents choose October 15th as the moment to do something concrete in their baby's memory - to commission or receive a memorial keepsake that will be theirs permanently.

A watercolour painting of their ultrasound - their face in grainy black and white, transformed into something luminous and handmade - can be the centrepiece of a Wave of Light altar. A silver pendant worn through the evening can keep them physically close on a night that calls for closeness.

If you are looking for a meaningful way to mark this October 15th, explore our memorial keepsake collection - created specifically for bereaved families, with deep understanding of what this kind of grief requires.

Saying Their Name

One of the most powerful things the Wave of Light community does is name babies out loud - in public posts, in private rituals, in the spaces grief carves out of everyday life. If you would like to share your baby's name in the comments of this post, we are here to receive it with love and without judgement.

Your baby was real. Your baby was loved. Your baby will be remembered tonight and always.

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