Mid-Winter Christingle Lights Up Eastbourne!
On a chilly July evening in Eastbourne, something bright and beautiful happened. The parish’s monthly intergenerational ‘All-sorts’ service transformed into a festival of light complete with oranges, candles, red tape, cocktail sticks, and sweets.
Families gathered around tables to create Christingles, children concentrated on balancing sweets on cocktail sticks, and grown-ups tried not to eat the lollies before they made it onto the orange!
The glow didn’t stop there. The church space included a quiet contemplation corner, inviting people to pause and reflect on Candlemas, remembering Simeon’s words about Jesus as “the light to the Gentiles.” Candles flickered as people prayed, laughed, and chatted together, creating a warm and joy-filled evening in the heart of winter.
“We were joined by people from across the church and the wider community, keen to share the light, the fun, and the sense of connection,” says Priest-in-Charge Sue Brown.
“It was about experiencing God’s Creation light coming into the world the same light that shone into the darkness at the beginning and which the darkness has not overcome.
“For me, there’s something powerful about lighting candles in the winter darkness, reminding us of the hope and life Jesus brings.”
So why mid-winter? Many Anglican parishes mark Christingle and Candlemas in December and February, but the Eastbourne team wondered how these light-filled festivals might speak into our Southern Hemisphere context.
“We thought changing the dates of Christmas and Easter might be a bit beyond us,” Sue laughs, “but shifting other festivals made sense. Growing up in the Northern Hemisphere, I loved the twinkle of Christmas lights in the darkness, and later, as a young parent, the sticky fun of making a Christingle orange. So, we thought, why not bring that sense of light and warmth into our darkest month?”
For Eastbourne, this wasn’t just about nostalgia; it was about connecting the good news of Jesus to our seasons here in Aotearoa. Holding Christingle and Candlemas in July helped the parish tell the story of light shining in the darkness in a way that felt immediate and meaningful. It brought together people of all ages, sparked conversations about faith, and created a sense of belonging and hope in the middle of winter.
