#trending: Couple to host Christmas party for ‘lonely’ people in Singapore, receive overwhelming response

SINGAPORE — A couple in Singapore who made plans to host a Christmas pizza party for people feeling lonely this festive season have received an overwhelming response to their open invitation.

Mr David Loh and Ms Esther Chua posted a TikTok video on Dec 19 inviting strangers to a pizza party on Christmas eve (Dec 24) this year.

Speaking to TODAY, the couple said that they received almost 300 requests to join their party as of Friday.

However, to keep the party intimate, they decided to limit the party size to 15 people and have more gatherings on Christmas Day and Chinese New Year instead.

Mr Loh, a 27-year-old art gallery manager, said in a follow-up post: “The last thing we want is for a hundred of you to show up and people who are feeling lonely, leave feeling lonely in the same way in that huge setting.” 

The couple also apologised for being unable to host every person who reached out to them due to constraints in space, manpower and costs. 

Mr Loh told TODAY that a few of his friends have offered to host people over the Christmas weekend as well, so that some of the guests whom the couple cannot accommodate will be joining those parties instead.

Moved to see that friends have followed suit to bring Christmas cheer to people, Mr Loh added: "That is really our heart's desire. It's not about Esther and I, we're not enough. All of us have a part to play in bringing light to the world."

The pizza party, which has no age limits, will be held at a venue near City Hall MRT Station and will include a card game to facilitate heart-to-heart talks, a "chill" jamming session and movies. 

The couple’s original video invitation has gained traction over the past few days and has since received close to 60,000 views and more than 200 comments.

On why they decided to host a party for strangers during the festive season, Ms Chua, a 26-year-old social media manager, said in the post that “Christmas is a time when the lonely gets lonelier".

Mr Loh said that he had spent the last few Christmases alone and he had felt “so lonely and so sad”. 

The couple thus wanted to host a party for people who are “struggling mentally” but have no one to rely on for support.

"There's no huge agenda, no huge programme, we just don't want you to be alone," Mr Loh said in the video post.

Loneliness is indeed amplified during the festive season, Ms Nilufar Ahmed wrote in a commentary for TODAY.

There may be an expectation of having “glossy family celebrations straight out of a Coca-Cola advert”, but far fewer people have such experiences, Ms Nilufar added.

The couple received an outpouring of support for their act of kindness.

One TikTok user said: “Such thoughtfulness. Thank you for bringing such wholesomeness...”. 

Another said: “Thank you for making me believe in humanity.”

Some people also expressed their interest to join the party in the comments.

One asked: “Can I be a part of this? I'm interested. My family migrated and I am the only person in Singapore.”

The couple also encouraged viewers who are inspired by their video to "jio” (invite in Hokkien) friends and family to a party because there is always “someone who is waiting to be invited”.