Meaning of Christingle | Babel Free

Definitions

1. A small Christmas gift for children symbolizing Jesus Christ as the “light” of the world. A typical modern Christingle is made of an orange with sweets skewered into it, a candle inserted into the top, and a red ribbon wrapped round it.
2. A church service for children incorporating Christingles, usually held during Advent.

Examples

“I lit the three Christingles, / I lit them one by one, / On the merry, merry Christmas Eve, / When all the work⟳ was done. / I lit the three Christingles, / And they burned with a joyous ray, / But the faces that bent above them / Were fuller of light⟳ than they.”

“A Christingle is an orange with a red ribbon around it. A small candle is set⟳ in the top. Four sticks, usually cocktail sticks, are placed in the orange. Pieces of fruit or small sweets are placed on the sticks. A Christingle is full of symbolism. The orange represents the world. The red ribbon is the blood of Jesus shed⟳ for everyone at his crucifixion. The candle represents Jesus, the Light⟳ of the World. The four sticks are either the four seasons or the four corners of the world. The fruit and sweets represent⟳ the food that God provides.”

“The Christingle service has its origins in the Moravian Church and dates back to 20th December 1747 in Mairenborn, Germany. The language used to describe⟳ a Christingle has changed over time but fundamentally a Christingle is a candle set⟳ into an orange, respectively representing the world and Jesus. A red ribbon is tied around the orange, representing the blood of Christ. Fruit and sweets on four cocktail sticks are also set⟳ in the orange, representing the four seasons and God's love⟳ in providing the fruits of the earth. […] This service was performed in local churches all over Moravia when families would gather together at Christmas time. In the first service, the children were encouraged to take⟳ their Christingle home to re-light and place⟳ in their cottage to show⟳ the light⟳ of Christ to passers by.”

“The Christingle service always attracts lots of people so the giving out of the oranges has to be limited little children; otherwise, some big children (i.e., teenagers) have⟳ been known to try⟳ their luck and line up for an orange too! I always used to take⟳ my two daughters, Victoria and Alexandra, to the Christingle.”

CEFR level