Christingle service, Great Gidding

Christingle service

Our annual Christingle Service takes place in St Michael’s Church on Saturday 15th December, starting at 4pm.

The Christingle story

Whilst the Christingle has its origin in the Moravian church, the idea of the three poor children who took their decorated orange to church as a Christmas gift for Jesus has been adopted by churches worldwide.

The three children, who were very poor, wanted to give a gift to Jesus, like the other families at church were doing. The only nice thing they had was an orange, so they decided to give him that. The top was going slightly green, so the eldest cut it out, and put a candle in the hole. They thought it still looked dull, so the youngest girl took her best red ribbon from her hair and attached it round the middle with toothpicks. The middle child had the idea to put a few pieces of dried fruit on the ends of the sticks. They took it to their church on Christmas Day, and whereas the other children sneered at their meagre gift, the priest took their gift and showed it as an example of the true understanding of the meaning of Christmas.

Make your own Christingle

Children (and mums and dads) are invited to come to the church at 3.30pm to help make the Christingles. Don’t worry if you cannot come before the service, there will be Christingles available at the service.

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