Multicultural Christmas lunch ends with many happy faces

Message from Studio Alphen transleted by Ref fm.

ALPHEN AAN DEN RIJN – At De Jozef community centre in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Diaconal Platform Alphen aan den Rijn (DPA) organised a Christmas lunch yesterday together with residents of the local asylum reception centre (AZC). Around fifty adults and eight children took part, along with volunteers.

The DPA is part of the local council of churches, which includes around 35 congregations. Mark Verrips spoke about the lunch on De Ochtendshow on Studio Alphen.

Integration

According to Verrips, the goal was to introduce AZC residents to how Christmas is celebrated in the Netherlands. “Everyone has their own background — different nationalities and different religions. But when it comes to integration, it’s important for them to experience what a Dutch-style Christmas celebration looks like,” he said.

The lunch was organised together with the residents. “It’s important to plan it with them, not just for them,” Verrips explained. People ate, sang, and listened to music from different cultures. The Christmas Gospel was read in English and Arabic, and the menu included Christmas bread, mandarins, and filled sandwiches.

Most invitations were spread by word of mouth, supported by flyers and app messages. Attendees came from countries including Syria, Iran, and Tunisia. According to Verrips, Arabic was an important shared language during the lunch. “Without Arabic, we wouldn’t have managed,” he said.

Kurdish polonaise

After the meal, the atmosphere became festive. A Syrian keyboard player performed Middle Eastern music, which led to spontaneous dancing. “The Kurdish women suddenly stood up and began dancing in a line through the hall — a variation on our Dutch polonaise,” Verrips said.

The afternoon ended with music and dancing. “A lot of very happy faces went home,” Verrips concluded.