Christingle – A Magical Christmas Eve

Something magical happens at 6.00pm on Christmas Eve at Craigsbank. Families, friends, those home for Christmas and those who are simply curious to see what happens, ALL gather to celebrate Christmas eve with joyful music and carols – and to create ‘Christingles’.

What is a Christingle? As they arrive, every child will receive an orange, a ribbon and some sweeties and raisins – and a candle. As the hour goes by, they will be encouraged to decorate the orange and light the candle, creating their own Christingles:

• The orange represents the world
• The ribbon symbolises the love and blood of Christ
• Cocktail sticks represent North, South, East and West
• The sweets and raisins represent all of God’s creations
• The candle is inserted into a small cut at the top of the orange and brings Jesus’ light to the world, bringing hope in the darkness

The Christingle can be traced all the way back to 1747 when a bishop in Germany looked for a simply way to explain the happiness brought to the world through Jesus. The Christingle was the result and the word itself comes from the German word, ‘Christkindl’ or Little Christ Child. It came back into fashion around 50 years ago in Europe and itself now spreads happiness in communities around the world on Christmas Eve.

Don’t miss out on this joyful event. 6.00pm on Christmas Eve