The Kuperus Family Blog: Christmas in Berlin

Frohe Weihnachten und ein gutes neues Jahr!

December has come and gone, and the sky in Berlin has turned grey. I'm told the sky will stay gloomy for the next few months, but during December, our moods were brightened by the celebration of Christmas.

Christmas für Alle

I helped prepare for a Christmas party called "Weihnachten für Alle" or "Christmas for All". Throughout December, I was asked to do different things to help prepare for this party, such as shopping for tablecloths and KinderPunsch or going to a school to pick up Christmas gifts the school kids had collected to be given away. KinderPunsch, by the way, is a German hot drink that is a mix of many fruit juices and is often drank around Christmas time.

This party was hosted on Christmas Eve, and 305 people came through the door. Many of them were homeless or refugees, who might not have a place to celebrate otherwise, so they came and celebrated at the Stadtmission (or City Mission).

They were served coffee, went to a small Christmas service, and then had a Christmas dinner. When they left, each was given a gift from the gifts that had been collected for them. There were so many gifts; when I worked a shift at the shelter after the party, the guests were given another box once they were checked in. One man opened the gift and was so excited he had received socks and some snacks. He kept repeating over and over, "This is such a great gift." He was especially excited about the snacks. "Do you know how expensive snacks are?"

Christmas for All has happened for years now. My boss told me that he would purchase things for the party, like tablecloths, napkins, and forks, but he never buys a cake, instead trusting that God will provide one. He informed me that God had provided a cake every time.

He told me a woman had come to the Stadtmission the day before Christmas to donate coffee. He told her, "You are an angel. I have a meal, I have cake, I have decorations, the one thing I didn't have was coffee. You are an angel."

Then he got a phone call and someone was asking to volunteer. Before he could turn her down (there were more than enough volunteers), she said, "I play the piano." He said, "You are an angel, I have enough food, I have coffee, I have decorations, the one thing I don't have is a piano player. You are an angel."

So, on Christmas Eve, 305 people celebrated Christmas with coffee, a Christmas service, a meal, some live music, and gifts.

Christmas in another Country

I celebrated Christmas Day in Berlin. The next day, I got on a train and visited my aunt in the Netherlands. It was so nice to see family around the holidays and take a break after a busy December. I was treated to a typical Dutch Christmas meal and was able to explore the surrounding areas.