【1989 Archives】

This989 Archivesa wonderful time of the year, where friends and family gather in love and harmony — in theory.

Unfortunately, not everyone is able to embrace the holiday spirit.

For reasons ranging from familial fallings-out, to a lack of available friends, to having no living relatives, to simply having to work over the holidays, many people the world over will be spending Christmas alone. Meanwhile, many others will spend the day surrounded by people but wishing they were by themselves instead.

The holidays can be a trying time for everyone, so English comedian Sarah Millican came up with an initiative to help people make it through. In 2010 she started the #joinin hashtag on Twitter, aimed at bringing tidings of comfort and joy to anyone struggling through this time of year.

Now the hashtag is back for its ninth year, continuing the heartwarming tradition.

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"So #joinin is for anyone feeling lonely or alone on Christmas Day," wrote Millican in a tweet earlier this month. "It’s a wonderful place to chat to folk. We’re all there for each other."

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Throughout Christmas Day, people are invited to tweet about how they're feeling and what they're up to, using the hashtag #joinin. The idea is to start conversations, let people see others feel the same way they do, and to just support each other over the day.

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Previous participants in the hashtag have happily embraced its return, with one U.K. cake shop even offering free drinks and cake on Christmas morning. And though Millican herself is British, the invitation to join in is global.

"I've had a few messages from people who are worrying that we're not going to start until the U.K. wakes up — that's not true," said Millican in a recent video explaining the hashtag. "I'm going to start it the night before."

"Rule number one is 'be kind,'" Millican said.

"That's the sort of level of rule we're talking about. I just like to make sure that people are safe."

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