Genstart af Juleløses Jul i Grå Hal, Christiania, Christianshavn, København efter 3 års Corona nedlukning.
Text and photos Erik K Abrahamsen, 24. December 2023
Christmas Banquet 2023 in Grey Hall, Christiania, Christianshavn, Copenhagen with more than 1000 free invited guests:
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Since 1980 Christiania has given a free invitation to join their Christmas banquet in Grey Hall, Christiania. Every christmas since, on eve 24. December more than 1000 visitors arrive in Grey Hall to celebrate and eat dinner, enjoy music, choir and to hear the evangelic good news of the birth of Jesus Christ.
On 11. march 2020 the danish government closed Denmark down coused by The Corona Epidemic. Therefore The Christmas Banquet in Grey Hall, Christiania was cancelled in the years 2020, 2021 and 2022. In 2023 Christiania has decided to reopen their Christmas Banquet tradition.
I live permanently in my summerhouse 60 km north of Copenhagen since 2012 and close to Kattegat Sea. This Christmas Day sunday 24. December 2023 is cold, windy and rainy. I drive to Christianshavn quarter in Copenhagen and at 4 pm I attend the Christmas service in Our Saviour Church located 300 meter from entrance to Christiania.
Our Saviour Church, built 1684-92 in style baroque by architect Lamberts van Havens with a 90 m high twisted tower created in 1751 by Lauritz de Thurah:
Vor Frelsers Kirke, Christianshavn, København on Christmas Service 24. december 2023:
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After the Christmas service I walk 300 meter to entrance of Grey Hall in Christiania and I arrive at 5.15 pm to join the more the 100 meter long queue of guests to the Christmas Banquet 2023.
Invitation folder given to all guests at arrival to Grey Hall – with text of 3 popular danish Christmas songs for community singing with all guests at 7.45 pm:
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Entrance to Grey Hall:
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When we walk through the gates of Grey Hall we are all applaused of about 100 volunteers clapping in theirs hands:
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Grey Hall, Christiania.
At entrance volunteers welcome the guests to Christmas banquet 2023:
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Grey Hall, Christiania.
At entrance volunteers welcome the guests to Christmas banquet 2023:
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Shedule for christmas banquet 2023 – PART 1-4:
5 – 6 pm: Arrival, getting seated and soft music and song on main scene
6 -7.30 pm: volunteers serve free dinner to all more than 1000 people
7.30 – 8.00 pm: The Christmas Gospel read by priest from local Christiania Church and The Christiania Volunteers Choir and community singing
8.00 pm – to after midnight: Entertainment and song and music from main scene
PART 1.
5 – 6 pm:
Arrival, getting seated and soft music and song on main scene – LIGHT BLUE, YELLOW, GREEN and RED from spotlights all evening and night.
Volunteers are helping all guests to find a place at the more than around 20 up to 20 meters long tables.
View from entrance, kitchen and serving area in direction to the scene:
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Christmas banquet 2023.
View in direction to the scene at right and Children Family Area at left in background:
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View in direction to the scene at right and family area at left in background. Photo by Erik K Abrahamsen.
View in direction to Children Family Area in background:
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View from Scene area in direction to entrance, kitchen and meal serving area in background:
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View from Scene area in direction to entrance, kitchen and meal serving area in background:
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PART 2.
6 -7.30 pm: volunteers serve free dinner to all more than 1000 people – each table with around 50 guests are called separated up to the dinner serving area.
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Dinner served – guests waiting in the queue lines:
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Music and songs on the scene while serving two different meals – one with meat or/and one vegetarian:
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Free meals to more than 1000 guest´s donated by private donators:
We can choose between a vegetarian meal or/and a meal with pork, ox and duck.
Its excellent food with a lot of vegetables and brown and white potatoes with danish classical source.
Dessert: rice pudding with cherry sauce and home made chocolates and marzipan confect with tea and coffee.
Serving of a meal with pork, ox or/and duck.
Dinner serving to the meat line:
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Dinner serving to the meat line:
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Dinner serving to the meat line:
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Dinner serving to the meat line:
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Serving the vegetarian dinner:
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Serving the vegetarian dinner:
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Serving the vegetarian dinner:
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Serving dinner to the vegetarian line:
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Christmas dinner in Grey Hall. View I direction to main scene:
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I eat a delicious vegetarian meal with white danish potatoes as supplement at a long table together with young people from Mexico, Guatemala and France. A girl and boy from Central America have both worked since 5 years in Denmark as professionel cooks on a restaurant and a community home of senior citizens serving danish meals.
The boy, Laurant and girl, Sarah in their mid-twenties from France tells me that they arrived yesterday from Sweden by bikes. What?, I asked them. Why from Sweden? In wintertime? And here is their story in short. In September 2023 they left their hometown Grenoble to ride on bicycle in direction east through Turkey, Iran, Kazakhstan to their destination The Mongolia Republic. And home through Russia, Finland and Sweden to Copenhagen visiting the danish capital for 5 days before leaving by train through Germany to their homes in Grenoble in south of France. They were both happy with a lot of energy and enjoyed their bike 3-4 months holiday ride and love to experience this Christmas banquet 2023 in Grey Hall, Christiania.
Laurant and Sarah at Christmas banquet 2023 in Grey Hall, Christiania.
The 2 ride bikers to Mongolia and return. At left Laurant and at right Sarah, both from Grenoble in France:
Close to the music scene is a separated area for children with families:
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View in direction to dinner serving area from inside children with families area:
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Music and songs on the scene while serving two different meals to more than 1000 guests:
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After the main meals are served and eat up:
PART 3.
7.30 – 8.00 pm:
The christmas gospel from New Testament of LUKE, Chapter 2 verses 1-14, read by priest from local Christiania Church and The Christiania Volunteers Choir and community singing:
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The Christiania Volunteers Choir and community singing with the text from folder given at arrival with danish text of 3 popular christmas songs:
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After the community singing of 3 danish Christmas songs its time for dessert, cakes, marzipan and tea/ coffee.
Dessert: rice pudding with cherry sauce and home made chocolates and marzipan confect with tea and coffee:
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Kitchen area – Serving rice pudding with cherry sauce:
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PART 4.
8.00 pm – to after midnight:
Entertainment and song and music from main scene.
Program of artists and music bands:
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Music on main scene 8 pm:
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I hope you have enjoyed my experience of celebrating my Christmas 2023 in Grey Hall, Christiania together with more than 1000 free invited guests full of love, joy and freedom.
Thanks to main sponsor “MAERSK McKinney Møller Foundation” of Christmas Banquet 2023 in Grey Hall, Christiania.
Text and photos Copyright Erik K Abrahamsen 2024
All rights reserved
Enjoy life – be happy!
Melby, North Sealand 6. January 2024
Best wishes
Erik
Exstra:
Prospectus for Christmas service at sunday 24. December 2023 in Our Saviour Church, Christianshavn, Copenhagen:
Priest on both services at 2 pm and 4 pm: Marlene Lindsten.
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Opdateret den 3. april 2024