what is christingle?

[ssd]

is this a new thing?

I’m in England, and I hadn’t heard of them until 2 or 3 years ago, despite being dragged to church every week as a child.
I think it’s a denomination thing - it seems to just be a C of E thing round here.

I’m scottish and definitely had Christingles when I was small!

Is it one of the Kardashians?

I’ve never heard of this either. Also in Scotland.

christkingle is a bastardised version of Christkindl. Christkindl in return is a belief in Germany and other countries around (Czech Republic, Slovakia etc.) that it's the baby Jesus Christ bringing presents to children for Christmas.
Santa is in return a bastardised version of St. Nicolaus, who brings sweets and little goodies to children on 6th January, chewed, digested and spat out by the clever marketers who found a fat guy with a beard and red cloak a much better promoter of consume than the baby Jesus.

My DD brought one of those home from school last year, I had no idea what it was until this thread. Hers had a real candle, with 4 cloves shoved in and some sweets on toothpicks. We're in Scotland.

I've only ever heard of christingle on mumsnet. Also in Scotland.

Us Scots are a heathen lot!

I grew up in Scotland and made many christingle thingies growing up - at school and at church. Haven't done one for years though as atheist now... but I remember making them every year as a child in the 70's and 80's.

My sons christingle made tonight at Beavers!

thelast the church we go to still uses real candles. Brings out the kids inner pyromaniacs .

I'm Church of Scotland and we've always done them too.

Aggghh. It was originally a Moravian thing. So like many of our Christmas traditions originated in Germany. It got adopted by the Church of England and many other denominations. Apparently there is a large Moravian community in Northern Ireland so maybe that’s why it became popular in the 60s . I just learnt that from Wiki!

Sorry about the Agghhh. Thought I’d posted half the message.

Whilst growing up in Switzerland, we used to do an 'Advent Wreath' which is similar but with more candles.
Health and Safety in the 70s was non existent. We used to have them on our desks at school, lol!

I’ve made 400 of them this year (local schools, beavers, rainbows etc). I had one parent approach me today to ask about the crysalis their child made with me...

I don’t think I’ve ever been to a church where they don’t use real candles, meglet.

i'm in Scotland and make these every year with the children.

That sounds similar to the other Blue Peter regular Christmas craft project Smurf, the advent crown, which was tinsel covered coat hangers with candles at each corner, as modelled here by John Noakes.

Every one I’ve been to has used real candles (and dolly mixture!)

In Scotland and went to a Catholic school, also never heard of it! I would have been far happier about services if I got sweets out of it

thelast our church uses real candles and sweets for christingle still. It’s always stressful watching the kids holding their furry oranges theoughout the service and trying to nibble off dolly mixtures without setting themselves on fire.

A Christingle - where you get you to watch pre-schoolers holding naked flames inches from each others hair .

Not remotely religious but did it as a child and have now watched my children do it through school.

Dolly mixtures? We only ever got bloody raisins

We did it at my catholic primary in the 1990s. I loved it.
None of my friends at secondary (who went to other catholic primaries in the same city) had heard of it.