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

[Sparklingbrook]

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.

@bellinisurge that’s a pomander

Oops, posted too soon.

The medieval thing is because people believed that diseases were airborne and that carrying something scented, like an orange studded with cloves, helped to protect you from sickness.

Very simple way to talk about religion (most religions I think???)
Children can make them themselves. We do in our school.
I find it the most poignant part of my Christmas.

Christingle as we know it is quite a modern invention started to raise funds for the Children's Society ( Wikkipedia says 1968). I didn't come across it until the 80s. I think it was an Anglican thing.

Roman Catholic here. Have heard of it in the last few years but didn't know what it was. It sounds lovely, I'm going to find a service to take the dds to this year.

One of my favourite parts of Xmas. Our church is full on Xmas eve. There's just something so lovely about watching 100's of kids stand and sing to a fruit, while trying not to set a historic building on fire. 💙

Best bit is the smell of toasted jelly babies.

Cheers @ThanksItHasPockets - Christingle just isn't an RC thing so we never did it.

Just checked with my siblings. They had no clue. So not just me. Makes me feel slightly better!

Bellini, I certainly do remember Valerie, they knew how to do creative children's tv then. Am still making Christmas pomanders but, like you,never heard of Christingle until this thread. There's a cathedral round the corner from me, I may drop jn to their service if there's room and you dont need to have a small child in tow.

I do remember the Blue Peter tinsel and wire coat hanger flammable nightmare that was the Advent Crown.

My dc are 21 and 23 and went to local c of e church for service when they were little.
We made it a tradition to come home and put up tree afterwards

We just got an orange. No sweets

A whole orange? We was lucky to get a lump of coal. To share.

It was definitely never a "thing" for me growing up in Scotland and going to church.

I just remembered we also got a little plastic candle with a slot in the top to fill up with pennies as a donation, can’t remember if it was always the same charity but it was always child orientated charities

The first Uk service was 1968 but dates back 270 years in Germany. As i said above, definitely a "thing" 20 years ago when dc were little

I have found two more RL people who had no clue. I feel less alone.