Christingle

== English == === Etymology === Uncertain; according to the Oxford English Dictionary, possibly from dialectal German Christkindl, Christkindle (“the Christ child, believed to deliver presents to children on Christmas Eve; the presents so brought”), from Christ (“Christ”) + Kindl, Kindle (dialectal diminutive of Kind (“child”)). The -ingle portion of the word may be a corruption of Kris Kringle (“Santa Claus”) (also derived from German Christkindl, Christ Kinde) among the German community in the United States. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈkɹɪstɪŋɡ(ə)l/ Hyphenation: Christ‧in‧gle === Noun === Christingle (plural Christingles) (Christianity) A small Christmas gift for children symbolizing Jesus Christ as the “light” of the world. A typical modern Christingle is made of an orange with sweets skewered into it, a candle inserted into the top, and a red ribbon wrapped round it. (Christianity) A church service for children incorporating Christingles, usually held during Advent. ==== Usage notes ==== The Christingle was originally a custom of the Moravian Church in Germany. In the 20th century, it was popularized in the United Kingdom by The Children's Society of the Church of England. === References === === Further reading === Christingle on Wikipedia.Wikipedia