Christingle ("Christ's Light") Service

We are learning so much about English customs. Thursday, the children attended a Christingle service at the village church. The first Christingle service was in 1749 at a Moravian Church and was created to symbolize Christ's love and light. Each of the children at Cheveley made their own Christingle which looks like this.

The orange represents the world. There are 4 sticks filled with sweets and fruits that symbolize the 4 seasons and the fruits/foods that God provides for us. The red ribbon symbolizes the blood that Jesus shed for us on the cross. A candle is put inside of the world and it represents Jesus Christ, the light of the world. The tin foil separates the candle from the orange and serves two purposes: reflect the light and catch the wax drips from a bunch of sloppy kids. If the tin foil were perfectly smooth it might have a perfect reflection. The tin foil is like us b/c we are called to reflect Christ but we are not perfect but we should try to do our best.

We sang some Christmas carols: Once in a Royal David's City, Little Donkey, and then we lit the Christingles and sang the Christingle Carol:

The Christingle begins with an orange,

like the world which the Lord God made.

For creation is full of his glory;

all around we see his love displayed.

Sing Christingle! Sing Christingle! Sing Christingle, it's the light of Christ.

Sing Christingle! Sing Christingle! Sing Christingle, light of Christ.

And other beautiful verses....

We closed by singing Away in a Manger. The words are the same but the tune is different. I have attended some other services and been amazed at the different carols they sing. John and Maggie's entire school walked from the school to church for the service.

That afternoon each child visited Santa's Grotto. I'm still not sure why they call it grotto but that's very common too. Santa gave each child a gift. Maggie's classmates each took a younger child with them. They very much encourage the helping one another at this school.

The children played games like Sleeping Lions, You shall be my master, Unwrap the gift , Musical Statues, Knots and Crosses (Tic-Tac-Toe), Chess. It's amazing how we speak the same language but so many things are different. Then they enjoyed food from the PTF&A (our PTA). I was able to help serve the food to the classes which was fun for me!

On Wednesday, the children has a Christmas dinner together. They each made a Christmas hat because it is a tradition that you wear a Christmas hat during the Christmas dinner. You traditionally have a cracker on your plate which you pop open and it will include a hat, small prize and a joke. The children did not have crackers but made hats instead. Here is a picture of Maggie & John with their Christmas hats.