Christmas message from the mayor of Bree
Dear residents,
Christmas is the time of year when we pause to reflect on each other, on what truly matters, and on the world around us, which sometimes changes faster than we can keep up with. In an age where technology plays an increasingly important role, where news spreads at lightning speed, and where the pressures of daily life sometimes weigh heavily on our shoulders, one thing remains unchanged: our need for connection and warmth.
Right now, at the end of 2025, we realize how important it is to continue to see what connects us. The world sometimes feels noisier, opinions more heated, challenges greater. But behind all that noise, there is still the same desire we all share: to be seen, to be heard, and to be part of a community.
Christmas invites us to return to that core. To share the light we carry within ourselves with others. Not through grand gestures, but through small acts of attention and kindness. An open conversation, a helping hand, a moment of genuine interest. We need each other more than we sometimes dare to admit.
And let us also remember those for whom this period is not necessarily warm or festive. The people who feel lonely, who may not have spoken to anyone for a long time. The people who are here without having chosen to be: those who had to leave their country, sometimes miss their families, and have to build a new, uncertain life here.
To them I want to say: you are not alone. And to all of us: let's seek out these people, not just at Christmas, but throughout the year. Let's not see them as strangers, but as people. A small gesture can make a world of difference. Christmas reminds us that no one likes to be alone or voluntarily displaced, and that it is our human duty to make room for compassion, understanding, and hospitality.
Let's use these holidays to take another step towards each other. To see our differences not as walls, but as opportunities to understand each other better. Because togetherness starts small: with you and me. And it is precisely those small gestures that make our streets, our homes, and our society warmer and more humane.
On behalf of myself and the municipal council, I wish you all a wonderful Christmas filled with love, light, and closeness.
Jos van Bree
Mayor of the municipality of Geldrop-Mierlo