400 Warburgers gathered for the first Christmas Eve get-together and singing on the Neustadt market square

Getting together and singing on Christmas Eve

On the initiative of the Earth Charter Ideas Workshop Warburg

a considerable part of the Warburg city society gathered on the morning of Christmas Eve on the Neustadt market square. It was a relatively spontaneous action that was decided at the EC ideas workshop meeting on December 7th. At the suggestion of Valeria, who suddenly held up a fir branch under the agenda item "Surprise" and intoned "Oh Tannenbaum", to which the others agreed, after the presentation of the idea it was decided to try everything on the morning of Christmas Eve on the Neustadt market square for the Warburg city community invite to an open singing. Action was taken quickly: the next morning the poster was already there and the requested sponsors immediately agreed. The event was quickly registered with the city administration and the necessary technology was organised. Then it was time to put up the posters. Then the songs were selected and the song sheet designed. Furthermore, with Thomas Volmert, a musician was won who would start the songs on the market square. The selected songs were announced on the ECI website and on Spotify, while many interested parties have already requested the list of songs via newspaper articles and social media activities. – The ECI activists were happily surprised when the market slowly filled up from 11 a.m. until finally around 400 people, including many parents with their children, were present. Now the Peace Light of Bethlehem was lit and the first Christmas carol was enthusiastically intoned. Later, a group of children and women who had fled the Ukraine, who had already registered in advance, sang. Under the Ukrainian flag they carried, they performed the traditional “Chedryk”, a well-known Christmas carol from their homeland. For many in attendance, this moment was emotionally overwhelming and tears flowed with thoughts of the war in Ukraine. After more songs, Dagmar, Katharina and Simone distributed postcards with the message of peace. Being together and singing was a complete success, which invites repetition and means a lot of recognition for the Warburg Earth Charter ideas workshop - a successful "premier" that should definitely become a tradition.

With the kind support of the Kohlschein brewery, Musikcafé Pfeffermintz and Druckcenter Warburg, all signatories to the Earth Charter. Many thanks to the sponsors.

Photos:

Carolin Sauerland provided the technology.

Valeria Geritzen welcomed on behalf of the ECI and presented the vision of the Earth Charter work.

Rudolf Ryll, chairman of the parish council, brought the peace light from the church to the center of the assembly on the market square.

The photos are from:

Simone Floerke, Carolin Sauerland, Anne-Kathrin Willeke, and Valeria Geritzen

Text: C. Holtgreve & V. Geritzen