St Mary with St Alban

The Christingle celebration brings together children, family and friends to celebrate the Christmas message. The Christingle service at St Mary with St Alban church features a simple traditional play, acted out by members of the Sunday School with ages ranging from 3 years upwards, to convey the message of Christmas.

All children attending the celebration receive a Christingle which is made up of a candle, symbolising Jesus, the Light of the World, mounted on an orange, representing the world, and a red ribbon or tape around the middle of the orange, indicating the blood and love of Christ. Four cocktail sticks bearing dried fruit or sweets are also stuck into the orange to signify the four seasons and the fruits of the earth.

The Christingle appeal has been used by the Children’s Society since 1968 to raise money in aid of The Children's Society. Last year nearly 1 million children and adults attended a Christingle event raising a record-breaking £1,224,818 which has been used to help thousands of disadvantaged children who face danger, discrimination or disadvantage in their daily lives. A network of projects helps over 50,000 children and their families each year.

The collection taken during the service raised £289.36 for the Children's' Society.