Picture Report #2 - Sharing Christmas 04/12/2025

We just held the Union des Indépendants’ end‑of‑year gathering — this year in a special, slightly different format. An initiative of our president, Clara Moraru, the event “Sharing Christmas” brought together members and non‑members from many nationalities, languages and cultures who all call Luxembourg home.

For the first time we offered a craft workshop led by Colombian artisan Yessika Diaz; the results were beautiful and will brighten our members’ homes over the holidays. We also hosted a small Christmas market where members could showcase their products and services.

Another new feature was opening the event to non‑members who face isolation and insecurity as independent workers. The project created moments of conviviality and social connection for self‑employed workers, asylum seekers and refugees, and helped strengthen coexistence through shared cultural and creative activities. In collaboration with Biergerpakt by Mifa, 12 citizens were able to join the event, which welcomed around 100 participants in total. People arrived in waves between 6:00 and 21:30 — some came with their children at 18:00, others after work around 20:00.

This project was innovative because it brought together three communities that rarely interact directly: solo self‑employed workers, DPI and refugees with talents to share, and Luxembourgish and non‑Luxembourgish residents interested in living together. Making Christmas decorations together created a simple, unifying activity that made living together visible, concrete and warm — answering a real social need for inclusion and combating loneliness. It fostered authentic, constructive encounters around a universal celebration and helped break down social and linguistic barriers through joint action and informal exchange.

We warmly thank the Ministry of Family Affairs, Solidarity, Living Together and Reception for their support.

As independent workers, we can choose to support each other, share our strengths and resources, and build a better life together – or face challenges alone. At the Union of Independent Workers, we clearly choose solidarity, mutual support and collective action. If you are self-employed and would like to feel less alone on this journey, join the Union now!

May you all have a peaceful holiday season and a successful 2026!

The Board – Clara Moraru, Nadiia Novytska, Crina Enita, Dr. Hansjoerg Reimer, Francis Hoogewerf.

Photos taken by David Ghisa (www.davidghisa.com)