The Candle light ceremony?

hi,
i hope i'm placing this message on the right discussion board. what i want to know doesn't sound academic enough for the academic board. i some questions:

what is the candle light ceremony about?
does it have roots in pagan rituals?
what exactly was done?
did it change over the years or was it a steadfast tradition from the beginning?

please tell me all you can. i read about this somewhere and i can't get it out of my mind for some reason.
happy new year to all.
glad you are all free from the clutches of this strange group.
is there a place i can read about your individual experiences and what made each of you join?