Christingle

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Christingles at a service of the Moravian Brethren

A Christingle is a symbolic object that is mainly used in the English-speaking world in family services during Advent .

The origin of the name Christingle is disputed. Perhaps it is derived from the old Saxon word ingle (fire). Accordingly, it is a light of Christ to Jesus Christ as the light of day to celebrate. But it could also be derived from the German words Christus- Engel or Christkindel ( Christkind ).

It is mainly used in Advent and Christmas , but also for Epiphany (Epiphany).

history

The history of the Christingles can be traced back to the Herrnhut Bishop Johannes von Watteville , who started the tradition in Germany on December 20, 1747. At this service in Marienborn there was only a red ribbon wrapped around a candle. On this tape was the prayer “Lord Jesus, kindle a flame in this dear children's heart”, as explained on the English website of the Moravian Brethren in the British Province.

It wasn't until 1968 that the tradition was expanded and popularized in Great Britain by John Pensom. He raised funds for The Children's Society charity .

Over 5,000 Christingle services were held each year in the UK during the 2000s . These are comparable to German family church services and include handicrafts and singing together with the glowing Christingles.

construction

A Christingle usually consists of:

  • an orange that represents the world;
  • a candle that is put in the middle of the orange and lit. This stands for Jesus Christ as the light of the world ;
  • a red ribbon around the orange or a paper brim that is wrapped around the candle. This represents the blood of Christ ;
  • Dried fruits , nuts and / or sweets are skewered on chopsticks and placed in the orange. They represent the fruits of the earth and the four seasons .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ wordfind.com
  2. ↑ a b c How to make a Christingle . BBC. December 5, 2007. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  3. ↑ a b c d e Christingle: The Christmas tradition that only got going in the 1960s . BBC News. December 19, 2014. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  4. ^ Moravian Customs . The Moravian Church British Province.
  5. ↑ a b What is Christingle? . The Children's Society. November 24, 2010.
  6. ↑ A “Christingle” shouldn't be missing for Christmas. In: nw.de. December 12, 2011, accessed December 13, 2017 .