Christmas may be a time for some festive fun in the form of family and friends indulging in mince pies, mulled wine and annual squabbles.

But, for some, it can be a horribly lonely time of year.

Which is why one elderly widower (who remains unnamed) in Berlin left a message on a noticeboard in his local supermarket asking for someone to share the day with this year.

“Where can a lonely pensioner and widower find a place in a small group for Christmas?” his note read, according to Stuttgarter Nachrichten, as translated by The Local.

Lisa, who was shopping at the time, noticed the message and decided to share it on Facebook – reaching out for the goodwill powers of social media.

“When I read this, it broke my heart right away,” she wrote, asking others to “please share” the post. “Maybe someone […] can fulfill his heart’s desire,” she wrote on Facebook.

It turns out she did so because she was concerned no one would notice his message. Now, it’s been shared more than 6,700 times.

And we’re all crying.

Lonely widower asks for company at Christmas, receives hundreds of replies