While Saint Nicholas’ Day is celebrated on Saturday, the beloved figure made an early appearance in Luxembourg City on Friday evening. At the central railway station, volunteers from the Noël de la Rue charity distributed gifts and hot meals, noting a growing number of people in need.
Accompanied by volunteers, Saint Nicholas offered more than the traditional tangerines and chocolate. The focus was on providing hot vegetable soup and invitations to the charity’s large Christmas dinner on 25 December. Noël de la Rue expects to cook for nearly 400 people that day and runs regular soup distributions in the capital throughout the winter.
Friday’s event was the first distribution of the season. Reflecting rising need, the soup quickly ran out. Volunteers had made enough vegetable and noodle soup for 170 people and were certain from the start that there would be no leftovers. The organisation observes a year-on-year increase in the number of people seeking a hot meal, noting that those in need come from all walks of life.
Vice-president Françoise Reuter explained that conversations reveal many are arriving from neighbouring countries due to housing shortages and financial strain. “They cannot find housing in their own country, they struggle to make ends meet, and so they come to Luxembourg,” she said. Reuter added that she was nonetheless surprised by how much Luxembourgish she heard among those seeking help.
One such person is Dennis, who came from Germany. “I couldn’t see a future for myself in Germany anymore,” he said. “My brother died a few years ago. He was my last relative, and what am I supposed to do alone in Germany?” He now hopes to build a new life in Luxembourg.
His primary challenge is finding a job without a fixed address. He sends out application after application, remaining hopeful for a positive response, but acknowledges that his lack of housing complicates the process.
For a growing number of people, poverty persists despite employment. Léon Kraus, president of Noël de la Rue, addressed this challenge while commenting on the broader societal response. “It remains to be seen whether the first national action plan against poverty will bear fruit,” he said. He expressed a strong desire for grassroots organisations with long-standing volunteer experience to be included in such official initiatives.
While volunteers remain essential, Kraus noted a positive shift in public engagement. “I’m not as alone as I was 20 or 30 years ago,” he stated, stressing that “many people are interested in the cause and would be willing to lend a hand.”
Noël de la Rue is part of a network of charities providing winter soup distributions and summer activities. To strengthen this collective effort, Kraus advocates for a common platform to connect all such organisations.
