Story: John Mellor
On 15th December 2013 families from Christ Church, St Peter's and the local area held a Christingle service, which in recent years has become a popular event in the celebration of Christmas.
Before the service a team of volunteers formed a ‘production line’ to make 80 Christingles. Each Christingle consists of an orange with a candle stuck in the top and a red band around it. Then four cocktail sticks with small pieces of fruit (fresh or dried) are added around the orange.
The symbolism of Christingles is as follows:
the orange represents the world;
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 lit candle is a reminder of Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.
The service included carols and a drama of the Nativity, ending with the singing of ‘Away in a Manger’ by the candlelight of the Christingles.
An offering was taken for the work of the Children's Society which supports orphaned and homeless children.
