Christmas in Haxey

We spent Christmas here in Haxey this year.  It was very quiet.  All of our friends here were away with family or had family visiting, so it was just John and I. Midnight mass was nice but not much different from home. 

Christingle Service

The one difference in the Christmas season was the Christingle service on the 14^th of December.  It is aimed at kids, but adults participate too.  Everyone brings a toy the service, or donates money saved, and when they bring it forward they are given an orange with a candle in it. Everyone then stands in all the churches isles, lights their candle, and sing Christmas Carols.  It is very pretty in a 900 yr old stone church.  The picture, which I didn’t take, doesn’t do it justice. The donated money and toys goes to an orphanage in the county.

Everyone around the church lighting their candles

From the program handed out at the service:
 The orange  represents the world and that God created us.
 The candle reminds us that Christ is the world’s true light.
 The red band around the orange reminds us that Christ was killed upon the tree.
 The four sticks with which the orb we spear reminds us how God cares for us thro’ the seasons of the year.