Three-year-old Lorenzo hid in his daddy's arms, tired from the day. Sometimes, through his little round glasses, he cast a shy glance at Hervé Thoman, 24, Ahmad Al Mais, 24, and Zahreldine El Ali, 28. Then he smiled and played with them. They'll all be together around the Christmas Eve table, as the father and son have opened their doors to this student from Côte d'Ivoire and these two others from Lebanon. "For me, Christmas is about sharing," said 25-year-old father, Rémi Leroy. "I don't have any family here in Chambéry, so I thought it would be nicer to welcome these students, especially for my son, who I live alone with."

It was just a few days before the festive season, in the reception room of Chambéry's city hall. It was also just a few days before parliament adopted the immigration law, which tightens the conditions for foreign students to obtain residence permits. The time had come for hosts and future guests to meet. For the past 15 years, the city of Chambéry and the Université Savoie-Mont-Blanc, with its headquarters in the city, have joined forces and become the matchmakers of a shared Christmas, between residents of Chambéry and the surrounding municipalities, and foreign students who come to spend part of their course in the Savoie region.

This year, 30 families agreed to open their doors, not only for Christmas but sometimes for New Year's Eve as well, to 40 students of Algerian, Brazilian, Croatian, Georgian, Indian, Iranian, Lithuanian and Mexican nationalities. Despite some occasional struggles with French, they are all there, gathered together despite the world's uncertainties.

"At a time when social connections are not as apparent, this scheme works, and it's frankly admirable to see a myriad of nationalities gathered here," said Gaëtan Pauchet, Chambéry's deputy mayor responsible for student life. Chambéry is a "crossroads town in the Alpine region," accustomed to international exchanges, he added.

Samuel Caillault, the town's international relations director, explained: "In total, over 500 foreign students have been welcomed by local families. And when a family comes forward, even though they're not necessarily used to opening up their home to others, we consider at a win, that a commitment to solidarity is still possible. Over the years, this initiative has led to some wonderful Christmas tales, with students and residents often keeping in touch afterwards."

Sofiia Slipchenko and Maryna Vandzhurak, both 23, are Ukrainian. They arrived in Chambéry in September, without knowing each other, to study international law. They are both leaving on December 25. Just before that, they will spend Christmas Eve with regular participants in the program, Sabine and Vahid Missaghieh, aged 52 and 67, in Challes-les-Eaux, near Chambéry. "I want to understand the spirit of this country, and this evening is an opportunity to swap stories about different cultures," explained Slipchenko, adding that it is important for her to return to her family for Christmas while war is still raging in her country.

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