Story and photo by John Mellor
On 18th December many families joined in a Christingle celebration at St Peter’s. In recent years this
has become a popular event in the celebration of Christmas.
Before the service a team of volunteers formed a ‘production line’ to make dozens of Christingles.
As shown in the photo, each Christingle consists of an orange with a candle stuck in the top and a red band wrapped around it. Then four cocktail sticks, with small pieces of fruit (fresh or dried), are stuck into the orange.
The symbolism of the Christingle is as follows:
- The orange represents the world, God’s creation;
- The red ribbon represents the blood of Christ, the Saviour of the world;
- The four cocktail sticks represent the fruits of the earth and the four seasons;
- The lighted candle is a reminder of Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.
The service included carols and the story of the Nativity. Then everyone was given a Christingle and asked to form a circle around the church. The candles were lit and the main lights turned off, accompanied by the singing of ‘Away in a manger’, always a memorable part of the celebration.
Donations at the event were used to support the Children’s Society who work with orphaned and homeless children.
