Sticky moments - What is in Kelvin's Head?

christingle Forgive me. I’m about to say something that some of you are not going to like at all.

Sorry everyone, but this is probably worse than trainee teachers casting aspertions about the reality of Father Christmas. (The silly fool involved should have told them about Saint Nicholas and had done with it).

My problem is not to do with the objective reality of Santa. It is to do with the origins of the Christingle. Who on earth thought up this sticky, messy nonsense? We are told by well meaning people that it is a tradition that comes from Moravia. Lots of good things come from the Moravian Church, but I struggle to believe that the custom of sticking candles in oranges and decorating them with dolly mixtures and then telling children that it is all about Christmas has anything to do with Moravia. (The Orange and Dolly Mixtures Marketing Board, perhaps, but not the Moravians).

How many oranges are waiting to be plucked from orange groves in Moravia in December I ask you?

Bah!

Comments

29 responses to “Sticky moments”

kelvin

13/12/2008

Oh dear Serena – I do hope it was not me who asked you to sacrifice so many good oranges.

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Rev Ruth

14/12/2008

Oh pooh to the lot of you. Mind you, this year I shall be following Fr Simon’s suggestions.
http://frsimon.wordpress.com/2008/12/13/make-your-own-christingle-what-fr-simon-will-not-be-wearing-this-year/

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Zebadee

14/12/2008

Was the picture you show taken from the Clangers? The worst services we can recall have all been Christingle ones

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kelvin

14/12/2008

Zebedee – if you cast your mind back far enough, you will remember all too well the particular Christingle service which scarred me for life.

I blame the parents.

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Mary-Cate

14/12/2008

This Canadian had never heard of Christingles until she was enlightened this AM and whilst we Canadians are guilty of doing all manner of things with apples (dolls with dried apple heads spring to mind) as far as I know no Canadian apples have been sacrificed to the service of Christingles

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Ritualist Robert

15/12/2008

Christingles have made it, for good or for ill, to Australia and New Zealand, although most people regard them with the scepticism that is their due.

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Erp

15/12/2008

Christingles does sound a bit dangerous to the vestments (and perhaps the next sitters in any pews occupied by a Christingle).

I assume one can’t revive the tradition of beating the bounds of the parish with the kids in tow… instead.

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kelvin

15/12/2008

I’d be surprised if a Christingle could pass any health and safety check these days.

Episcopalians in Scotland don’t have parishes and tend not to think that way. (Thank God). It weas only recently that I discovered that we still have pastoral areas though so far as I can see they serve no practical area.

Episcopal clergy are not given the cure of souls within a geographic boundary.

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Zebadee

15/12/2008

Kelvin I think that you mean ‘Brown Fowl’s husband’ was to blame

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kelvin

15/12/2008

Oh yes. Oh yes.

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29 responses to “Sticky moments”

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