Christmas magic in Esternberg: School community makes Europe visible!

Christmas magic in Esternberg: School community makes Europe visible!

In the small community of Esternberg, Advent is marked by an exciting intercultural project! The Esternberg elementary school is taking part in the unique “European Christmas Tree” project, in which students from the 3rd and 4th grades created handmade Christmas decorations for 23 partner schools across Europe. Headmistress Birgit Himmel proudly reports that each piece of jewelry was accompanied by a message about the Christmas customs in the respective country. As a sign of the exchange, loving letters came back from the European partners, which are now decorating the small Christmas tree in the school and delighting the children with festive splendor, just like it meinkreis.at describes.

An important sign against poverty

But the festive mood is accompanied by a serious issue: poverty is also an urgent problem in Austria. Over 1.3 million people are affected, and awareness of this is being raised through the Austria-wide BILLA fundraising campaign “A donation that fills you up”. This initiative not only aims to reduce the gap between rich and poor, but also specifically supports the supply of basic food and hygiene products. Such actions are more urgent than ever, especially given the alarming statistics showing that in many EU Member States a significant proportion of the population is affected by poverty or social exclusion. Loud Statista In 2023, almost 18% of EU citizens were at risk of becoming poor or experiencing exclusion, underlining the urgency of such programs.

This combination of festive joy and awareness of social responsibility shows that community initiatives can address both cultural and social challenges. At a time when cohesion in Europe is more important than ever, the students in Esternberg are sending a signal of solidarity and exchange.