The proprietor of a restaurant in Belfast expressed his pleasure about celebrating Christmas by opening on that day and cheering up the lonely.
Luthfur Ahmed expressed his delight at being able to receive presents this Christmas after being barred from doing so the year before by a coronavirus lockdown.
With the exception of the pandemic, he has opened the Bengal Brasserie on the Ormeau Road every Christmas Day since 2016.
On December 25 of last year, he was unable to open his doors, so he and his crew instead made takeout and gave it to people in need.
During the pandemic, they also provided hundreds of meals to the medical staff at Belfast City Hospital.
However, he asserted that making new friends and inviting customers into the restaurant make the day.
Since he is a Muslim and comes from a Bangladeshi family, Mr. Ahmed does not observe Christmas as a holy day.
He has planned 150 meals in the popular Indian/Bangladeshi cuisine for which his restaurant is known, along with a Christmas pudding.
He claimed that helping others makes him happy.
For some of the less fortunate, we extend an invitation for them to visit and celebrate Christmas with us, he said.
Since 2011, Mr. Ahmed has served as the restaurant's director. In 2016, he began the establishment's annual Christmas Day opening.
We want to ease the burden for some families and individuals who are really struggling with this terrible cost-of-living crisis
Because of the happiness and enjoyment that visitors have while they are here, he remarked, "I wanted to do it because I saw individuals struggling on their own."
"On Christmas Day, I have seen folks come who don't have anyone else, and when they sit down here, they share memories and get to know one another.
"They nag me all the time, will you repeat this next year? That gives me pleasure. This is our modest contribution to the neighbourhood.
"We want to make life a little bit easier for certain families and people who are genuinely struggling with this dreadful cost-of-living problem.
"We want to feed those who are less fortunate than ourselves, but just as important is our wish to put smiles on people's faces and provide some relief from these financial troubles," the statement reads.
In October, Belfast's Bengal Brasserie celebrated its 33rd year of existence.
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