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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.

OP posts:

maxiflump1 · 09/11/2018 22:27

Christingle was one of the highlights of the festive season when I was a child. My parents village church still does it and DM and I are taking DS (3) this year. I do remember one year though when my cousin got too close to the girls in front of her and accidentally set fire to her hair. The vicar has to put it out with the cloth thing he draped over his arm. Never seen a vocal move so fast!

FlibbertyGiblets · 09/11/2018 22:28

We made them with cloves and a ribbon at school but my family were very high church and didn't hold with such nonsense. I feel a bit sorry for little me and all my siblings. Though maybe they couldn't stand the thought of all their many offspring having access to open flames

LuggsaysNotaWomen · 09/11/2018 22:30

I’ve never heard of it in forty odd years but then I’m not from a church going family.

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Buxbaum · 09/11/2018 22:30

@BikeRunSki that sounds like a Saint Lucia celebration, which is traditional in Scandinavia. Girls in white robes with red sashes and (real, terrifying) candle crowns.

I love Christingle. We have just started with the weekly appeals in church for anyone who can help the vicar’s husband to prep the oranges, specifically using power drills to create the holes for the candles.

littlemisscomper · 09/11/2018 22:36

My family isn't at all religious but we used to go to Christingle, in St Albans cathedral. One of my special Christmas tradition memories actually.

If anyone decided to take their children though TIE UP LONG HAIR! I've seen long loose hair set alight before now as the children walk one behind the other holding their orange.

Tiggles · 09/11/2018 22:37

@sparklingbrook there were way more adults than children at my christingle service last year. And yes 150 people with candles is a bit but no problems yet.
We tend to make them in advance ready to hand out but in some churches they give you a little bag containing all the parts to put them together in the service.

Original poster

Sparklingbrook · 09/11/2018 22:46

There's not many bits of Christmas I like, and it's a shame that I only just found out about this. I could definitely have got the boys on board with this when they were little.

at the long hair/flame situation.

OP posts:

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 09/11/2018 22:48

Usually go with family if at home, but went on my own to a church near a relatives a couple of years ago. There were many more adults than children.

Surprised churches still let children parade around with them. Everyone I’ve been to in the last 10 years insists on people standing still while the candles are lit.

Parttimewasteoftime · 09/11/2018 22:54

Love Christingle always week before Christmas here raisins and dolly mixture. Kids love it we do it all the candle bit and sticks are 😯 Ours normally last to be table decs on the big day. Very popular here go early OP

MissLadyM · 09/11/2018 22:56

Strong RC upbringing but never heard of this!

JaiNotJay · 09/11/2018 23:00

I had vaguely heard the word Christingle but has no idea it was a church service, I thought it was something American. This thread has been very educational!

Petitepamplemousse · 09/11/2018 23:01

Oh I loved this at school. Magical.

Wandastartup · 09/11/2018 23:17

I am usually on fire watch for the choir! Parents are trusted to watch their own children but we have a children’s choir who need fire wardens! Made DH sit with the naughty ones.

Notreallyhere23 · 09/11/2018 23:20

At my primary school if your birthday was near Christmas you got to carry the christingle for the school church service and take it home afterwards.

The only time I’ve ever been happy to have a birthday near Christmas, still remember how excited i was by a few dolly mixtures!

EyUpOurKid · 09/11/2018 23:24

As offspring of a vicar I have spent, many, many many hours sat on the front room carpet stabbing dolly mixture and raisens with cocktail sticks ready for Christingle.

Ditto to folding service sheets and, arguably the worst job, weaving palm crosses for the Easter service. No sweets involved there, except when bribery was necessary.

ManonBlackbeak · 10/11/2018 00:10

When I was in the Brownies in the 90s someone set themselves on fire with one of those.

PinkCalluna · 10/11/2018 00:27

That’s not the song we sing. I can’t find it online though annoyingly because it’s nice and fun, you have to stand up and turn around quickly which is always entertaining in big winter coats and narrow old pews. There’s foot stamping too, - quite wild for C of S.

We have half fruits and half sweeties - very Presbyterian.

I’m quite entertained at all the fire worries. I don’t think I’ve ever seen any burning/setting alight incidents or even near misses in all my years of going.

Maybe we’re just keener to keep our candles lit for the warmth in a big cold Scottish church!

Letsgetreadytorumba · 10/11/2018 00:38

We had cloves too 😩

halfwitpicker · 10/11/2018 00:47

Never heard of it

DuckofDoom · 10/11/2018 01:38

Oh I love Christingle! I’ve been every year for as long as I can remember. It makes Christmas for me.

I used to enjoy holding the mini marshmallows over the flame but a few years ago our church got a new carpet and, out of fear of getting wax on it, converted to using glow sticks instead of candles. It’s just not the same

longwayoff · 10/11/2018 06:28

Off topic but re fire and children, went to firework display last Saturday for the first time in donkeys years. It was preceded by a march through town to the bonfire site and a burning brand was handed to anyone who fancied one. Several thousand people with children strolling through town waving fiery torches, sparks flying. Glad I left all the polyester at home.

blackteaplease · 10/11/2018 06:39

This thread is making me cry. My mum used to take me to christingle as a child, it was lovely.

I took my dc to christingle in a Methodist church where we made our own. It was fun but not the same service. It did save the poor church people having to make them in advance though.

hormonallyspeaking · 10/11/2018 06:53

We go to one every year, I started going in Brownies and never really stopped.

At ours the oranges are made before the service by the church volunteers and you're invited up during the service to get one and then we stand around the edge of the church passing the flame from candle to candle until the circle is complete. Then the lights go off and we sing this little light of mine.

NWQM · 10/11/2018 07:17

We don't use a candle for the children but a glow stick.

Tricky bit is getting them to not eat the sweets straight away and for them to last the sing 😀

It's a lovely service in our church.

bellinisurge · 10/11/2018 07:48

@longwayoff - I remember a Blue Peter "make" from the 70s involving cloves and an orange. It really captured my imagination. But, as an RC, I had no idea it was a Christingle thing. I remember Valerie Singleton - if you don't know who she is, you weren't there, man - saying it was a medieval thing but not associating it with the Church.

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