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#JoinIn if you're alone

December 25, 2015

British comedian Sarah Millican has asked people spending Christmas alone to #JoinIn at Twitter. As users tweeted their sad, happy and funny Christmas messages, the comedian watched "on the hashtag like a SantaGod."

https://p.dw.com/p/1HTqV
Image: Ljupco Smokovski - Fotolia

"I started it because I'm a big softie and can't bear the thought of people being alone on Christmas Day," Millican wrote in an article in the Standard Issue magazine.

Komikerin Sarah Millican
Milican's #JoinIn is now in its fifth yearImage: Getty Images/T.P. Whitby

"This is for those who don't choose to be alone, but who are, for some reason, on their tod/bob/lonesome. Be it because they have no family, are estranged from their family, it's not their turn to have the kids, even just that their partner is at work, whatever. Alone and would rather not be," she added.

As an example, Millican said she likes to post about what she's watching on the television, so other users can do the same and have a discussion on the program that's running. But Twitter users poured in with all kinds of ideas.

There were those who posted pictures of their pets, including friends of Millicans' like Scottish comedian Susan Calman:

Millican herself joined in with a picture of her cat, as well as announcing her dog's impending walk:

Many users posted pictures of food, reminding themselves of how fun Christmas was when you didn't have to share food with anyone else.

These users shared his thoughts on the subject of the importance of clothing on a lonely Christmas evening:

As always, the Twitter hashtag had its share of "creative" posts, like this crib made of bacon and sausages.

Or this post:

And this one:

The trend even made it to Germany:

Millican herself took a nap while other users were having fun with the hashtag.

Apparently, the hashtag served well for people who, in Millican's own words, "were dreading not having anyone to chat to."

Millican got a pat on the back from none other than "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling, who sought to help promote the hashtag prior to launch.