Christingle

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Christingles prepared for a Moravian service

A Christingle is a symbolic object, used in the Advent services of many Christian denominations.

Christingle means 'Christ Light' and is used to celebrate Jesus Christ as the "Light of the World".[1]

Used primarily for Advent and Christmas, it is also used for Epiphany.[1]

History

The history of the Christingle can be traced back to John de Watteville, who started the tradition in Germany in 1747.[2] At that time it was just a ribbon wrapped around a candle.[2]

The authentic origins of the Christingle can be found on the website of the Moravian Church in the British Province: http://www.moravian.org.uk/index.php/the-moravian-church/moravian-christingle

It was popularized in the United Kingdom by John Pensom in 1968.[2] He was raising funds for the Children's Society charity.[2] In the 2000s over 5,000 Christingle services were being held in the UK every year.[2]

Construction

A Christingle usually consists of:[1][2]

  • An orange, representing the world,
  • A red ribbon wrapped around it, or a paper frill around the candle, representing the blood of Christ,
  • Dried fruits and/or sweets skewered on cocktail sticks pushed into the orange, representing the fruits of the earth and the four seasons.
  • A candle pushed into the centre of the orange, then lit, representing Jesus Christ as Light of the World.
  • Aluminum foil, representing the star that showed people the way to Bethlehem.

Recent Developments

In 2006 Chelmsford Cathedral in the UK announced they would be replacing the candles with glowsticks.[3]

References

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