Holidays - Northern Irish pub campaigns against loneliness around Christmas
The video was viewed millions of times in just a few days: A pub in Northern Ireland has landed a surprising success with its Christmas advertisement. In it, an old man leaves his house with a walking stick, visits a cemetery and then enters a pub. Sitting alone at a table, he experiences a special moment of humanity.
"We never thought we'd end up in the news. It's just crazy," says Una Burns (32), the manager of "Charlie's Bar". The pub in the Northern Irish town of Enniskillen is named after her grandfather and has been in the family since 1944.
Pub opens on Christmas Day
Even on Christmas Day, December 25, the pub traditionally remains open. Her father used to be asked if he didn't want to spend the day with his family and four children. But he wanted to be there for people who might be alone on Christmas Day, Burns said. "Why should they have to sit at home alone?"
For some people, the holidays are not a particularly happy time, he said. "It's not as merry then as it sometimes looks on TV," Burns told the German Press Agency. With their video clip advertising the opening at Christmas, they also wanted to point this out. It seems to have struck a nerve.
The power of small gestures
In a post on the short message service X (formerly Twitter), the video has been viewed more than 8.7 million times, and there are more than 80,000 likes on the pub's Instagram channel. The British newspaper "Guardian" has already rated the clip as the best Christmas advertisement of the year, even though the video was made on a small budget. The BBC also reported on it, as did the Times newspaper.
The two-minute video shows a gentleman walking through the city to the song "People Help The People" by singer Birdy. He lays flowers at a grave. Wants to greet people on the street who don't respond. Then sits alone in a pub and orders a beer. Non-alcoholic, as Burns emphasized. It is important to her that you don't have to drink alcohol in the pub.
In the video, a young couple then decide to keep the strange man company. They wanted to remind people to be friendly, said Burns. "It doesn't take much - maybe a simple hello, maybe a smile."
Loneliness in society
Author Jan Howley wrote in a Times article that she was not surprised that the video was so successful. She explained this with a feeling of loneliness. In today's society, people are living longer and longer. The truth is "that we all feel like this at some point". Whether you are divorced or widowed, struggling with retirement or an empty nest.
"Until you've experienced loneliness, I don't think you can imagine how hard it hits you," wrote Howley, who says she organizes meetings for older people. When you meet other people, you feel less lonely. "And if the Charlie's ad sends us all into Christmas with that message, it's probably better than any department store offer."
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The successful 'Christmas video' from Charlie's Bar in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, highlights the issue of loneliness during the holiday season. Una Burns, the pub's manager, shared that even on Christmas Day, the pub remains open to accommodate those feeling isolated. The touching advertisement, set to Birdy's song "People Help The People," has garnered over 8.7 million views on X and received over 80,000 likes on Instagram. The British newspaper "Guardian" has even named it the best 'Christmas advertisement' of the year, despite its modest budget. The video aims to inspire acts of kindness, such as simply saying hello or offering a smile, to combat loneliness in society, resonating with many in Great Britain and beyond.
Source: www.stern.de
