A Christingle is a symbolic candle in an orange decorated with a red ribbon and 4 cocktail sticks with sweets. It has become a regular fixture in many churches across the UK and Europe as part of the Christingle service over the Christmas period.
The Christingle orange is used as a visual celebration of the light that Jesus Christ brings to the world. It’s a great way to get children to interact with the story of Jesus and is popular as a craft for all the family.
What is the Christingle meaning?
A Christingle is a symbolic object that represents Jesus and the light he brings to the world through the Christian faith.
The orange represents the world.
The red ribbon around the orange represents the blood of Christ.
The sweets stuck into the orange with 4 cocktail sticks symbolises the four seasons and the fruits of the earth – aka creation.
Christingle meaning:
- Orange – the world
- Candle – the light that Jesus brings to the world
- Red ribbon – the love and blood of Jesus Christ
- Four cocktail sticks – the four seasons or the four directions of North, South, East, and West
- Sweets – God’s creations, the ‘fruits’ of the earth
What do you need to make a Christingle?
Making a Christingle is a fun activity to do with children. It’s a family or community activity that feels inclusive and easy to do. You only need a few materials to make a Christingle making it accessible and affordable.
You need oranges to make the main base of the Christingle. Inside it, you will need a small candle that is inserted over a square of tin foil. Around the middle of the orange, you tie some thin red ribbon. Then you poke 4 cocktail sticks into each side along with a few sweets, marshmallows, or dried fruit.
To make a Christingle you need the following:
- Large orange
- Small candle
- Red ribbon
- Four cocktail sticks
- Small sweets
- Foil
- Scissors
- Small knife, paring knife, or potato peeler
- Kitchen paper
- Matches or a lighter
How to make a Christingle instructions
- Assemble all of your supplies to make the Christingle. Make sure the oranges will stand up on their own. If not give them a gentle squish against a flat surface to make the bottom flatter.
- Use a small knife to make a hole in the top of the orange. Or simply push your thumb into the orange. Place a piece of kitchen paper underneath to prevent any mess from the juice of the orange.
- Cut out squares of foil. Hold the foil square loosely around the base of a candle and push the end of the candle into the hold in the top of the orange.
- Wrap a length of red ribbon around the middle of the orange and tie it into a bow. Or fasten with a little tape if preferred.
- Add some small sweets to each cocktail stick.
- Poke 4 cocktail sticks covered in sweets into each side of the orange, forming a cross shape.
- Your Chrstingle is now ready for lighting! Be careful and cautious around candles and live flames.
Christingle Orange Tips and Ideas
- Please make sure an adult is present with any children holding a Christingle candle.
- The foil square is optional and not a symbolic part of the Christingle, but it is recommended to protect the Christingle orange and any hands holding it from dripping wax.
- You don’t need to attend a Christingle service to make a Christingle. They are a nice easy craft to get children involved in Christmas.
- We used these Christmas tree candles which are an ideal size for the Christingle. But you can also use any small household candle such as birthday candles.
Enjoy making your Christingle this Christmas!
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