How to make a Christingle

Christingle is a custom which originated in the Moravian Church in 1747.
This page is adapted from The Christingle Resources Guide published by The Children's Society

If you are in the UK or Ireland please contact The Children's Society for this most useful guide or their Assembly Pack and help them to raise funds to Light up a child's life. Or call them on 0207 841 4400.

Christingle means Christ-Light,
the Orange represents the World,
the four cocktail sticks portray the Four Seasons.
the Fruits and the Sweets illustrate God's love in providing the fruits of the earth,
the Red Ribbon depicts the blood of Christ,
and the Lighted Candle symbolises Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.

If you are not in the UK or Ireland, why not use your Christingles to support your own nationally recognised Childrens's Charities - see our Young People page for more information about the Christingle service.
1. Take an orange and cut a small cross in the top.
2. Fasten a piece or red sticky tape around the middle of the orange to represent the ribbon.

Allow sufficient overlap at the join.
3. Place a 7.5cm (3 inch) square of silver foil over the cut in the orange, then take a votive candle, place it on top of the foil and then push both into the cut, until the candle is firmly wedged in the orange.

The foil ruff helps to prevent hot wax from the lighted candle from running on to a child's hand.
4. Load four cocktail sticks with a selection of raisins, sultanas, cherries or soft sweets and insert evenly into the orange near the base of the candle.

Please note that nuts are not recommended as some children are allergic to them.
5. To keep your completed Christingles upright, ask your local greengrocer or supermarket for some pre-formed fruit trays; borrow clean polystyrene plant pot trays, or alternatively take a thin slice off the bottom of each orange to form a flat surface.

It is advisable to make up the Christingles no more than two days before the Celebration.