21. Christmas singing
Tens of thousands of Union fans ring in Christmas
December 23, 2023, 10:07 p.m
For many FC Union Berlin fans, singing together at Christmas in the An der Alten Försterei stadium is one of the highlights of the year. One day before Christmas, 28,500 fans flock to Berlin-Köpenick to get in the mood for the festival together.
The Christmas singing at 1. FC Union Berlin has attracted the crowds again. In the evening, 28,500 visitors flocked to the An der Alten Försterei stadium for the 21st edition of the Bundesliga soccer club.
Because of the huge crowd, it didn’t start until around 7:10 p.m., ten minutes later. Classics such as “Her little children are coming” and “Oh Christmas tree” were heard. Of course, numerous Union songs were also sung. The tickets had been sold out for weeks. Only club members could purchase these through a raffle.
Christmas atmosphere in Berlin-Köpenick.
(Photo: picture alliance/dpa)
Christmas singing at Union has been taking place since 2003. It is the oldest Christmas singing that is carried out in football stadiums in Germany and has now found many imitators.
For the Union premiere 20 years ago, just 89 activists gathered on the pitch-dark back straight in the Alte Försterei, which was not yet covered by a roof. Christmas singing inventor Torsten Eisenbeiser from the Alt-Unioner fan club wanted to get fans to gather again in a contemplative way during difficult sporting and economic times. This has become an event that brings Union and its employees the biggest club event of the year every year one day before Christmas Eve.
After the upsetting year of 2023, which saw Union qualify for the Champions League but also the relegation battle in the Bundesliga, Union fans also gained a bit of courage for the second half of the season starting in January. The Union is currently in 15th place in the Bundesliga. The club ended the 2022/2023 season in fifth place. During the traditional annual review speech by a fan in a Santa Claus costume, there were chants for the former successful coach Urs Fischer and against the DFL because of the possible investor deal.