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AChristingle is a symbolic object used in theAdvent,Christmas, andEpiphany services of manyChristian denominations. It symbolises the birth ofChrist, theLight of the World.[1] A modern Christingle is made from a candle in anorange (representing the light and the world respectively) which is typically decorated with a red ribbon and sweets or dried fruit. It has been a feature inMoravian churches across the United Kingdom since before theWorld Wars. As members of Moravian churches moved away from their home congregations, they took the custom of Christingles with them and introduced it to other denominations. In the 1960s John Pensom adopted it as a fundraising tool forthe Children's Society of theChurch of England.
The history of the Christingle can be traced back toMoravian Bishop Johannes de Watteville, who started the tradition in Germany in 1747 as "an attempt to get children to think about Jesus".[2] At that time it was just a red ribbon wrapped around a candle; it is unclear how an orange came to be incorporated into the Christingle.[2]
In the intervening years, the Moravian Church spread the tradition of Christingle through their early role in theProtestant missionary movement.[3][non-primary source needed]
The custom was popularized in the United Kingdom by John Pensom in 1968.[2] He was raising funds for the charityThe Children's Society.[2][4] In the 2000s, over 5,000 Christingleservices, in which children are presented with Christingles, were being held in the UK every year.[2] In 2018, over 6,000 services were held for The Children's Society. Each year, Christingle raises over £1.2 million to help vulnerable young people.[5]
In 2018, The Children's Society launched its #Christingle50 campaign, which included festive services in schools and churches for the 50th year.[6]
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A Christingle usually consists of:[1][2][4]
Other additions to the Christingle may include:
The nameChristingle probably derives from aGerman dialectical wordChristkindl, meaning 'Christ-child'[8][9] or 'Christmas gift'.[9] Alternatively, according to aBBC source, the name means 'Christ Light',[1] given that the orange and candle symbolise the Light of the World.
