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Original poster

Am I the only person that had no idea what Christingle was all about?

118 replies

Sparklingbrook · 09/11/2018 19:37

Talking with friends today. They were telling me about oranges and candles and cocktail sticks.
I went to a school that sang hymns in assembly and grace before lunch, and my two DC went to C of E schools and yet I had no idea.
I have seen signs about 'Christingle Service' but hadn't really given it any thought as to what it was.

Please say it's not just me. Confused

OP posts:
AgentProvocateur · 09/11/2018 20:05

Never heard of Christingle, and I’m in my 50s Grin

Original poster
Sparklingbrook · 09/11/2018 20:05

It sounds lovely.

I have sent the picture to DS1 (19) and asked him if he knew what it was. In case they did it at school but he never said.

OP posts:
Notveryadventurousname · 09/11/2018 20:06

Yes, dolly mixtures as well as jelly tots here. Children hold the lit candles in the church aisle....and try not to set light to each other's hair.Grin

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Events & celebrations
Original poster
Sparklingbrook · 09/11/2018 20:07

Surely it's all very hazardous, how on earth do they get around Health and Safety, risk assessments etc?

OP posts:
likablum · 09/11/2018 20:07

I used to put the jelly tots in the flame and they'd go all oozy and I'd burn my tongue on them. Happy days.

retainertrainer · 09/11/2018 20:07

Well the message was obviously lost on me as a child cause I thought it was just a fun churchy craft project-an orange sweet holder!🤦‍♀️

Beacauseisaidso · 09/11/2018 20:09

Chris tingle is a beautiful service, makes me cry. Definitely go and try if you've never been. Lots of people go to this service when they don't go church at other times. They can be very busy so get there early!

LosingNemo · 09/11/2018 20:13

I used to go to Christingle services as a child. We weren’t particularly religious but we did this. We made them at home and then spent the service trying to eat as many sweets as we could get away with. There was some sort of parade through the church, but I have to say that I don’t really know what the point of the whole thing was.

museumum · 09/11/2018 20:15

I was brought up catholic in scotland and never cane across it. I’m guessing it’s very CofE / Anglican???

DuggeesWooOOooggle · 09/11/2018 20:17

We grew up in a very strict evangelical Christian household and our church was extremely conservative and would never have had anything to do with something as frivolous as a Christingle service. Shame as we did one a couple of times with brownies and thought it was ace. I take DS to a C of E church with me (DH won't come) and I hope he will remember some of the magic of services like Christingle, carol services etc.

I think the stuff on the cocktail sticks was originally dried fruit to represent the 'fruuts of the spirit' eg love, joy, peace. It tends to be sweets now although have you ever tried ramming a haribo bear onto a cocktail stick? The cloves seem to have disappeared too. Or am I thinking of pomanders?

MrsDeaconClaybourne · 09/11/2018 20:17

I'm another one who didn't know what it was despite being a regular Sunday school attendee as a child and going to school where we sang hymns and did a fair bit of Christian stuff.

Only discovered it when I took the DC to the local church in the town we now live. It's very popular here and really well attended. I think it must vary from church to church as to how much it's practised.

I'd definitely go along to one if you haven't been. Ours is on Christmas Eve and it's a lovely calm time in the midst of all the madness.

Original poster
Sparklingbrook · 09/11/2018 20:18

I definitely think the cloves were in pomanders when I made one.

OP posts:
E20mom · 09/11/2018 20:19

Oh I loved this as a kid. Firm atheist now though!

ScribblyGum · 09/11/2018 20:20

Our church has a Christingle and my dds is they are old enough help make the Christingles the day before.
I take my Rainbow unit and the moment when they light the Christingles I am on full meerkat alert for little girl hair/ naked flame interface so never get to sing the Christingle hymn.
It is a beautiful service.
Last rector had it at Epiphany by new rector is doing it on 1st Sunday of advent.
I’ve been to one on Christmas Eve too.
Aim of our family is to keep the candle lit all the way on the walk back home.

Original poster
Sparklingbrook · 09/11/2018 20:22

There is a hymn? Awww.

OP posts:
PinkCalluna · 09/11/2018 20:33

Our church (Church of Scotland) does a Christingle service every Christmas Eve.

It’s lovely.

As you go in you’re handed a bag with all the individual elements in it. During the service you get instructions to do each step, with a story describing the meaning.

There’s a Christingle song too, with actions. Grin

At the end of the service the church lights go out one by one as the Christingles are lit while the choir sings.

It’s really nice.

It’s not just for kids either. Our church is usually full.

Original poster
Sparklingbrook · 09/11/2018 20:38

The song has actions? Shock

I will have to go, it sounds great. Xmas Smile

OP posts:
AnnaMagnani · 09/11/2018 20:41

It's def not as old as the 1740s - I don't think they had as many oranges to hand to the plebs back then.

Wikipedia says version in the UK with oranges invented in 1968. I remember being taught about it at school and us all being unimpressed as it was too many facts to learn and not even that old.

Moravian thing with candles and ribbon only (no oranges or sweets) and not called Christingle is 1740s.

Peanutbutterjar · 09/11/2018 20:43

I Used to help make christingles at church as a child. We spent ages making about 100 of them, we got to eat the spare jelly babies after!

Original poster
Sparklingbrook · 09/11/2018 20:44

Poor jelly babies getting skewered on a cocktail stick.Sad

OP posts:
MoreHairyThanScary · 09/11/2018 20:49

I used to go as a child and now take my dc.... it is probably the most terrifying 1/2 hour waiting for the candles to be lit, being held by the kids ( had put mine in Primani Christmas jumpers!) and the relief that nothing untoward had happened for another year.!

The church in darkness with just candles singing a hymn is lovely ( and I'm no longer particularly religious)

SneakyGremlins · 09/11/2018 20:49

Remember boiling them in science? In test tubes?

ARandomPoster · 09/11/2018 20:50

Our church uses glow sticks instead of candles, those thick, festival type ones. No parents are worrying about open flames, just trying to stop Little Lucy from eating her dolly mixtures before she leaves the church.

And there's always a song which starts "The Christingle begins with an orange..." and is sung to the tune of give me oil in my lamp.

Apart from the crib service on Christmas eve this is my favourite service. It's one that is aimed at the children.

KipperTheFrog · 09/11/2018 21:06

We did Christingle at school (C of E primary). We didn't have sweets though, just dried fruit and cloves

Meet0nTheIedge · 09/11/2018 21:18

I didn't know what it meant growing up but took the DCs a few times and it is all talked through as you make the Christingle. It's such a lovely service, sadly the DCs haven't wanted to go for the last couple of years though.