Christingle
The history of the Christingle can be traced back to John de Watteville, who started the tradition in the Moravian congregation of Marienborn, Germany, on 20th December, 1747. At a children's service, hymns were sung and the minister, John de Watteville, read verses which the children had written to celebrate the birth of Jesus. He then explained to the children the happiness that had come to people through Jesus, "who has kindled in each little heart a flame which keeps burning to their joy and our happiness'. To make the point even clearer, each child then received a little lighted wax candle, tied round with a red ribbon. The minister ended the service with this prayer, "Lord Jesus, kindle a flame in these children's hearts, that theirs like Thine become". The Marienborn Diary concludes, "hereupon the children went full of joy with their lighted candles to their rooms and so went glad and happy to bed".
Christingle means "Christ Light" and is used to celebrate Jesus Christ as the "Light of the World". No one knows for certain when the word "Christingle" was first used or from what it is derived. Various suggestions have been made. One is that it comes from the old Saxon word "ingle" (fire), meaning "Christ-fire or light". Another is that it derives from the German "engel" (angel), meaning "Christ-angel", or it may derive from the German "kindle" (child), meaning "Christ-child".
The symbolism gradually developed, the Christingle consists of:
An orange, representing the world;
A candle pushed into the centre of the orange, then lit, representing Jesus Christ as Light of the World;
A red ribbon wrapped around the orange or a paper frill around the candle, representing the blood of Christ shed for all people on the cross at Calvary;
Dried fruits and/or sweets skewered on cocktail sticks pushed into the orange, representing God's bounty and goodness in providing the fruits of the earth and the four seasons.
The Christingle Service is usually held on the Sunday before Christmas or on Christmas Eve. Essentially, it is a children's service, which reminds us that the Christ-child lies at the heart of our Christmas celebrations. The service usually includes the traditional Moravian carol:
Morning Star, O cheering sight!
Ere thou cam'st how dark earth's night!
Jesus mine, In me shine;
Fill my heart with light divine.
Morning Star, the glory bright
Far excels the sun's clear light:
Jesus be Constantly,
More than thousand suns to me.
Thy glad beams, thou morning star,
Cheer the nations near and far;
Thee we own Lord alone,
Man's great Saviour, God's dear S.
Morning Star, my soul's true light,
Tarry not, dispel my night;
Jesus mine, In me shine;
Fill my heart with the light divine.
At the climax of the service every child receives the gift of a Christingle, reminding us that "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son..." (John 3:16). In this wonderful moment, in the darkened church, the visual symbol of the Christingle expresses the truth that in the darkness of the world there shines a great light.
(Quoted sources: 1. Wikipedia; 2. The Moravian Church British Province website)
Night
This is my first time follow with others strange volunteer to sing noels in this night. We're singing in three different area in Shamshuipo district. The last area where is the homeless people who live under the bridge. We give them christmas gifts besides sing noels.
Midnight Mass of the Nativity
At the midnight, I go back to cathedral and attend the Midnight Eucharist Mass.
在公元四世紀，
在公元四世紀，羅馬教會 (Roman Church) 原將聖誕聖餐禮 (彌撒) 時間定為聖誕日早上九時正，但居住在耶路撒冷 (Jerusalem) 的基督徒，卻揀選了聖誕前夕，並於基督的出生地伯利恆 (Bethlehem) 舉行聖餐禮，以慶祝基督的誕生。這個傳統慢慢流傳到羅馬，到了五世紀中業，羅馬教會也仿效耶路撒冷教會，在聖誕前夕添加一堂聖餐崇拜，即後來的子夜聖餐禮 (Midnight Eucharist Mass)。
那麼，為何猶太基督徒會在午夜時份以聖餐禮慶祝基督降生呢？其實新約聖經 (New Testament) 並沒有任何記載有關基督是在晚上那一個時分出生，只在《次經》所羅門智訓 (Wisdom of Solomon) 第18章，出現一段關於救世主「在晚上過了一半的時候」降臨凡間的描述。基督徒後來把「在晚上過了一半的時候」詮釋為午夜，也因此成為了聖誕子夜聖餐崇拜 (彌撒) 傳統的由來。時至今天，聖誕子夜崇拜已成為基督徒在每年最隆重的兩個崇拜之一 (另一個為復活前夕禮儀 Easter Vigil) 。
在這晚上，救主的誕生作為將臨期四個星期所期待的事，得到完滿的實現。而這一夜，基督降生的喜訊要被傳揚開去，以致天上地下，都一同慶賀聖誕的來臨。讓我們懷着歡欣的心，一起參與為慶祝基督誕生而舉行的首堂聖餐禮。
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