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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:
IncyWincyGrownUp · 09/11/2018 21:29

I went to a CofE school; the headmaster was the local vicar and Christingle was the best part of the year.

Becles · 09/11/2018 21:29

Collections made at Christingle services go towards a children's charity. It's only been a thing for 50 years apparently

www.childrenssociety.org.uk/about-us/impact-report-2018

Ohyesiam · 09/11/2018 21:33

I too have no
Idea what Christingle is ( but I like the word) , I also don’t know what elf on the shelf is.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Events & celebrations
SellFridges · 09/11/2018 21:34

I’m sure our Christingle oranges had dolly mixture on them!

Original poster
Sparklingbrook · 09/11/2018 21:35

There doesn't appear to be any downsides to Christingle.

I know what Elf on the Shelf is but don't see the point.

OP posts:
Imaghosthowareyoooooo · 09/11/2018 21:36

The best bit was sucking your finger tip to wet it then passing it through the the flame!

TrippingTheVelvet · 09/11/2018 21:37

We always had them as children at the Catholic school in Ballygobackward. Only 2 jelly tots per stick though!

Icedgemandjelly · 09/11/2018 21:38

Invented by The Children's Society. Its essentially a fundraising event (think similar to children in need day on a smaller scale and church based). They are a Charity that do work with vulnerable children similar to Banardos. It's been going for years . We did it as children. I've taken mine the last few years. If you are a church goer then it's a lovely pre Christmas thing for dc. To be honest I only realised the Children's Society link a couple years ago!

BikeRunSki · 09/11/2018 21:43

We had Christingle services at school in the early 1980s. Except we wore a candle headrest on our head. After spraying our head on hairspray, I am not sure how we made it to secondary school unscathed.

BikeRunSki · 09/11/2018 21:44

I thought it was a German import.

Candlesonthetable · 09/11/2018 21:45

Our church's Christingle services are some of the busiest of the year. We have to have three to fit in the 1000ish people who want to come!

DrMadelineMaxwell · 09/11/2018 21:49

The Christingle Song

The Christingle begins with an orange,
like the world which the Lord God made.
For creation is full of his glory;
all around we see his love displayed.

Sing Christingle! Sing Christingle!
Sing Christingle, it’s the light of Christ.
Sing Christingle! Sing Christingle!
Sing Christingle, light of Christ.

Every year we give thanks for the seasons,
and the fruits of the earth to share.
The Christingle is here to remind us
that the love of God is everywhere.

Sing Christingle! Sing Christingle!…

God of love, we give thanks now for Jesus;
we remember his birth again.
But the red ribbon round the Christingle
tells the story of his cross and pain.

Sing Christingle! Sing Christingle!…

To complete the Christingle:
a candle, telling us of the world’s true light.
For the darkness shall not overcome it,
Jesus shines on in the darkest night.

Charley50 · 09/11/2018 21:50

I don't know what it is and I can't be arsed to read the thread so I still won't!

Original poster
Sparklingbrook · 09/11/2018 21:52

Thanks for your input Charley. Confused

So the song/hymn even mentions the orange.

OP posts:
ileclerc · 09/11/2018 21:52

I'm catholic but my brownies / guides was affiliated to a C of E church and we did it every year.

Until just now I thought it was chriskindle, not christingle!

Charley50 · 09/11/2018 21:58

Sorry @Sparklingbrook - I just quite like not knowing 

Original poster
Sparklingbrook · 09/11/2018 22:02

You could have read what it was in the time it took you to post twice on the thread Charley. It's a church service with a difference.

OP posts:
Toddlerteaplease · 09/11/2018 22:03

We used to get flumps on ours and toast them on the candle flame.

Original poster
Sparklingbrook · 09/11/2018 22:04

But it's generally sweets on the cocktail sticks? Nothing else?

OP posts:
JurassicAdventure · 09/11/2018 22:13

I used to be volunteered to make them for my mum's congregation.

The orange represents the world,
the red ribbon (but red tape works better) the blood,
the 4 cocktail sticks with fruit/nuts/sweets (we used 2 sticks with a monkey nut and 2 raisins and 2 sticks with dolly mixtures -one year we had jelly beans, you cannot skewer them, it just doesn't work) are the 4 seasons and all of creation.
There is foil, but I'm pretty sure it's just to stop the orange going funky.

If you got a good raisin you could get a really decent flame before the head of choir came and confiscated your Christingle.

We would make 100 and it was never enough and some poor kids would be stuck with a candle stuck through a paper plate.

After the service we would collect any unwanted oranges and make fresh orange juice to be an alternative to mulled wine after the crib service.

There is a song too, to the tune of The Holly and the Ivy. (Which will be in my head all week now!)

I don't miss much about church, but the smell of smouldering orange...

bellinisurge · 09/11/2018 22:18

In my 50s . Brought up Catholic. Little or no experience of C of E. Had heard of it but had thought it was some ghastly fake folk music Christmas thing for kids imported from the US. Learned what it was recently . Sounds really sweet. If you like that kind of thing.

RockNRollNerd · 09/11/2018 22:22

As a guide I used to help hand them out. It was always referred to as “burn a Brownie”!

My gran used to make the ones for her church. One year she ran out of jelly tots so we had to use my grandad’s stash of jelly babies. We cut them in the three so some kids that year got ones with four tiny multicoloured heads on sticks ShockGrin

DGRossetti · 09/11/2018 22:23

James Acaster has a pretty funny routine about Christingle ...

longwayoff · 09/11/2018 22:25

Dont know anything about Christingle but grandkids and I usually spend some time on first Saturday or Sunday in December sticking cloves in tangerines and oranges. Best to poke holes with a skewer before putting cloves in. Dot them around the place. Makes house smell lovely for Christmas and children enjoy it a lot. Me too.

PolkadotsAndMoonbeams · 09/11/2018 22:26

We used to go to a combined crib and christingle service on Christmas Eve, which was lovely. Hymns, organ, choir... it was ever so nice and calm.

Now my sister works at a different church and it's all drum kits and guitars and the Christmas story told in the style of a tv chat show. Hmm I might rebel and go to the other one this year!