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. Our Christingle celebration is an opportunity to bring our whole community together, to share the Christian story and to experience the joy and wonder of this well-loved Christmas tradition.
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.
Christingle collections raise millions of pounds for The Children’s Society to support their work with young people who are experiencing a range of complex issues, and who feel alone. The hope is to bring love to the hearts of children who feel ignored, sanctuary to the lives of those who feel unsafe, and peace to the minds of young people who feel like they simply don’t matter.
Through Christingle, you can help give a child their first Christmas free from sadness and fear.