More families open their homes to strangers for christmas. But there is still a need for more, think of the Red Cross.

Over 500 danes have so far signed up as either host or guest through the Red Cross project Julevenner, where strangers can be matched to spend christmas eve together.

the project Manager on the Julevenner", Susanne Borén, they find that far more people have been interested in opening their home on christmas eve.

- There are many people who just want to help and invite someone to christmas, she says.

Julevenner is a project, the Red Cross established together with DR in 2012. Now, they cooperate with the social network Boblberg and matches leading up to christmas juleværter and julegæster with each other.

People stand to go a long way even to find a match by doing a lookup on the Boblberg, but in some cases helps Susanne Borén.

It is also through the Julevenner that the 58-year-old Søren Lillevang and his family have found a stranger to invite for christmas.

this is The third time the family makes it, because they just can't let be.

- We have space, we have a surplus and we can afford it. So, I think just as well, we can fill the extra seat out.

the Christmas season means so much for so many people, and therefore I do not believe that there is someone who must sit at home alone and be sad on christmas eve. Also it could have been myself, says Søren Lillevang.

In 2017, there were 170 juleværter and julegæster that were matched with each other. The figure was 292 in 2018.

And Susanne Borén expect that as a minimum going to be on the same level in the year.

But although many have already joined, there is a great demand for even more opening their home on christmas eve, tells Susanne Borén.

- We know that there are a great many people, sitting alone on christmas eve - and it is not necessarily someone who is lonely, the rest of the year.

- It is a night, where it can be difficult to sit alone, and therefore it is important that there are people who will open their homes, she says.

Although there's not long to christmas, it is still possible to sign up as either host or guest, stresses Susanne Borén.

There are also many other offers to keep christmas with people you don't know.

Among the offers are, for example, to keep christmas at a school, in a church or a shelter.

/ritzau/