Christmas 2021
Hi VU-student!
This Christmas, we want to do something special, together with you!
Our foundation tries to fight loneliness under the Dutch elderly by sending them personal postcards. With the rising covid infections, the elderly are more and more afraid to outside and see other people. This might make them feel more lonely, especially during the holidays.
Because we want to wish everyone a happy Christmas, especially in these times were everyone can use a kind word, we are asking all students of the VU to write a Christmas card for the elderly of the residential home, very nearby the VU. And we’re going to make this very easy for you.
Buy your own christmascard, or download one of the free templates below. Don’t hesitate if you don’t speak Dutch. Below you’ll also finds tips and translations to write a Dutch christmas-message.
You can deposit your card at the forth floor of the main building of the VU. You’ll find a box nearby the coffee machine, and we’ll make sure your card gets safely delivered.
Follow us on our instagram to stay up to date on the delivery of the cards, and check out our video!
If you’d like to download one of our free christmas cards, you can just click on the one you like! The designs are specially made by @veravisueel
Tips for international students:
The Dutch are one of the best non-native English speakers in the world, but most elderly in the Netherlands have limited English knowlegde. Therefore, we would like you to write your kind words in Dutch. Here you can find some tips:
In the Netherlands, we often wish people both a merry christmas as well as a happy new year at the same time: “happy holidays” = “fijne feestdagen”, “merry christmas” = “vrolijk kerstfeest”, “happy new year” = “gelukkig nieuw jaar”.
Ofcourse, there are many more things to write on your card and you can make it as personal as you want. Use an online translator for more specific translations. So where are you from? What do you study? And what are your plans for Christmas?
Finally, you can always ask your Dutch peers to check your message. And no worries, it is about the gesture, not the grammar 😉