Every year since 1991 school children go to the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands, on the night before Christmas to place candles on the graves of all fallen soldiers. The ceremony is parallel to the long- established spring ceremony where the children place flowers on the graves. The candle ceremony was conceived by Mrs. Leena van Dam as a way of expressing the gratitude for living in a free country. She agreed to buy five years worth of candles from Finland where she was born.

Canadian War Cemetery in Holten
The Foundation Welcome Again Veterans agreed to take over sponsoring the ceremony from 1997 on. About 300 children participate in the ceremony that starts at 16:30 in the afternoon. Canadian and Dutch traditions are mixed as the bagpipe and a typical Dutch Christmas horns are played. The flames of the candles keep vigil there until midnight and put the cemetery in an impressive yellow light.