Monday, December 24, 2012

The Christingle

Recently the children at Llangedwyn School made Christingles, pictured below.
A candle light service was held in the local church, were each of us received a Christingle off the children.
They consisted of a tangerine / clementine sweets on a stick with a candle at the centre.
This blog is about the story of the Christingle.

The story of the Christingle began in 1747 in a small village in Germany. Bishop Johannes de Watteville, was wondering how to explain the love of Jesus and what Christmas was really about to his congregation.
So. he decided to make something simple he could use to get his message across.
He wrapped a red ribbon around a lighted candle, with the prayer " Lord Jesus, kindle a flame in these dear children,s hearts,"and this was the first Christingle.

Many years later in 1968, John Pensom, from the children,s society, a charity supporting children who are suffering and do not have everything they need, introduced the idea of the Christingle service to the Anglican Church and it has now become a part of Christian, Christmas celebrations.

The Christingle the children made

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