As every year, Luxembourg hosts many social initiatives this year on Christmas Day. One of them is the Christmas soup kitchen known as “Noël de la Rue”, where guests were warmly welcomed again this year, and in large numbers.
Brigitte Klein has been volunteering for them for the past six years, and sees it as an essential part of her Christmas Day. The idea is simple: to bring together people who cannot afford a hot meal or who are alone, and to give them the chance to meet and get to know one another.
“It’s lovely, because you end up seeing those people again and getting to know them”, says Klein. “When you walk through the city and recognise them, it’s really moving.”
At Tramschapp, the relaxed and warm mood held throughout the day. There was dancing, good food and plenty of conversation and laughter; for several hours, guests could set aside their daily concerns.
For many, it was a rare opportunity not to spend Christmas alone. “We don’t have a family, so it’s nice for the children, as they get to meet other people and spend Christmas with others”, explains one mother.
Another visitor explains: “My father passed away, and my mother lives far away in Germany. I don’t have family left to celebrate with, so I come here every year. The atmosphere is wonderful, and the food is good.”
Officially, 450 places were set on Thursday, making it 50 more than last year. However, it quickly became clear that more would need to be arranged.
The number of guests has been rising for years, though this trend hardly comes as a surprise. According to a recent STATEC report, nearly 27% of the population in Luxembourg is at risk of falling into poverty.
Figures that weigh heavily on Léon Kraus, the organiser of the Christmas soup kitchen, who has been committed to the initiative for 44 years.
“Today I see so many people giving out a joyful smile, and so many people who don’t want to think about their worries on this day”, he says. “But those worries are there all year round. I hope the poverty plan that was recently presented will take effect, and that we can do even more to integrate people better into everyday life. There is still a lot of work to do.”
Kraus also wants to stress that the guests don’t just consist of foreigners. “There are an enormous number of Luxembourgers who have benefited from this lunch.”
