Once Upon a Childrensalon Christmas

With Anna Eastman, Senior Stylist

"Having a young family has meant the start of new Christmas traditions for us. My husband is from Australia where Christmas looks very different to the UK. Think BBQs, backyard cricket and post-lunch swims, so he's been keen to embrace all of the traditional British festivities. Christmas is our favourite time to snuggle indoors, bake cookies, sip hot chocolate, and watch festive films together in our comfies. Over the years, our two children have grown to love decorating the tree, writing letters to Father Christmas, and eagerly anticipating the festive surprises each year brings.

On Christmas Eve, my husband cooks a cola ham and I make a Swedish potato dish called Jansen’s Temptation for supper (I’m not Swedish but it’s amazing!). We always wear our special Christmas outfits and then get ready for Santa’s visit, leaving out plenty of carrots for his reindeer. We’ll then snuggle into bed to read The Night Before Christmas in our PJs!"

With Michael Singleton, Senior Designer

"Christmas and New Year have always been an important time for our family, and highlights the multicultural traditions that we have adopted. My wife is from Japan where New Year’s celebrations are more significant than Christmas, so we make a blend of English and Japanese customs to fuse the essence of both cultures for the day. Our Christmas dinner incorporates quite a fusion, with a spread that harmonises traditional British roast turkey alongside homemade sushi, tempura, and miso soup.

My children are both in their teens now so they will spend the day lounging in their comfortable sweats. While they are still excited for presents, their focus has changed to more eagerly anticipating the ‘Otoshidama': a Japanese tradition where monetary gifts are given to children. These are envelopes, beautifully adorned with vibrant Japanese designs, symbolising generosity and blessings, and they look lovely hung from our tree in the weeks before Christmas. Later in the day, we will spend time making freshly baked mince pies along with ‘wagashi’, which are traditional Japanese sweets infused with matcha and fruit. Our children love to devour these treats as fast as we can make them, adding another layer of joy to our Christmas traditions."

With Sua Son, Senior Localisation and Translations Manager

“In South Korea, there’s a tradition of becoming a year older on New Year's Day. When I was younger, I believed that with every new year, a brand-new version of myself would magically emerge. I would be in my pyjamas, sitting in my bedroom, writing my thoughts in a diary, while sipping on sweet plum tea and eating satsumas and rice cakes. Since having children of my own, New Year’s has taken on an even deeper meaning. As a Swedish-Korean family, we usually spend our Christmas and New Year’s Eve in Sweden. My husband’s family home is close to Gränna, known as the candy cane village. The entire place smells like sweet peppermint at this time of the year, and you can buy handmade candy canes in all sorts of flavours. It is quite magical up in the north: snow, flickering candles, saffron buns and glögg for the grown-ups.

Come each December, our children have their very own special Christmas wishes. Our daughter Charlotte is always drawn to anything sparkly and would happily sleep in a pair of glittery shoes, while our son Oscar would love a dinosaur puffer jacket as if it were one of his favourite DK fact books come to life. And now, with a new baby in the family, there will be even more little treasures for us to wrap and tuck under the tree this year."

Images by Childrensalon