Christingle

This afternoon, children in Yellow and Blue classes made Christingles. Christingle means 'Christ-Light'. The Christingle celebrates the light of Christ.

The first Christingle service was in Germany around 1747. The service encouraged children to keep a candle burning in the window of their home so that people who passed by would see the light of Christ. The Christingle service teaches children about Jesus.

Of course Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus, but the Christingle celebrates the meaning of Jesus' life, with each part of the Christingle orange having it's own symbolic meaning. The orange itself represents the world. The red ribbon around the orange symbolises the blood of Christ. The four cocktail sticks are the four seasons of the year. The dried fruit or sweets represent the fruits of the earth and the earth's riches God has blessed the world with. The white candle, which is place in the top of the orange, represents Jesus, the light of the world that shines over everything.

Christingle services usually takes place on the last Sunday before Christmas or on Christmas Eve.