Word of the day: Christingle
As a humanist, I don’t spend much time at religious events or ceremonies and, when I do, they are usually Jewish ones (so many of my closest friends are Jewish). But this week I accompanied my son and daughter-in-law to Southwark Cathedral in central London because they wanted their 11- month old daughter (who has been unwell recently) to hear music and see lights in a ceremony called “Christingle Service and the Lighting of the Christmas Trees”.
Now I’d never heard of the word ‘Christingle’ before. What is it? Well, it’s an orange with a candle stuck in the top and a red ribbon around it with four cocktail sticks added each with a sweet on it. And what does all that mean? The explanation is here.