What is Christingle?

Christingle is a special, memorable celebration that takes place in thousands of churches and schools across the country. The celebration is named after the Christingles that are lit during the service. Christingles are made from an orange decorated with red tape, sweets and a candle. With your help, Christingle raises vital funds to help children who are facing Christmas alone and are unable to cope.

Christingles may be held from the start of Advent to Candlemas, with Christmas Eve a particularly popular time for services. Christingle celebration is an opportunity to bring the whole community together, to share the Christian story and to experience the joy and wonder of this well-loved Christmas tradition.

The symbolism of Christingle

Each element of a Christingle has a special meaning and helps to tell the Christian story:

The orange represents the world
The red ribbon (or tape) symbolises the love and blood of Christ
The sweets and dried fruit represent all of God’s creations
The lit candle represents Jesus’s light in the world, bringing hope to people living in darkness.

What happens at a Christingle celebration?

From traditional services to outdoor events, street parades and Messy Christingles, there is no one way to hold a Christingle celebration. The service usually include prayers, readings, hymns and carols – and of course the all-important lighting of the Christingles, a moment filled with awe and wonder for all. Because Christingle was specifically created with children in mind, the celebrations are the perfect event for children and families and can be enjoyed by people of all ages – especially if they don’t regularly attend church.

What is Christingle?