Once Upon a Childrensalon Christmas

With Anna Eastman, Senior Fashion 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. 

Our daughter is two and a half, so this is the first Christmas she really understands. She’s super excited to decorate our tree and write her letter to Father Christmas; she’s asking for a scooter and a 'dolly whose eyes shut'. I’m also expecting our second baby in January, so this year, Christmas is going to be about snuggling indoors, baking cookies, sipping hot chocolate and watching festive films in our comfies.

On Christmas Eve, my husband cooks a cola ham and I make a Swedish potato dish called Jansson’s temptation for supper (I’m not Swedish but it’s amazing!). I will be making sure my daughter wears her special Christmas dress, as I’m pretty sure she won’t take off the gift that Father Christmas is delivering. Then we will put out the mince pie and carrots for Santa and his reindeer before snuggling in bed to read The Night Before Christmas in our PJs!"

"I’m expecting our second baby in January, so this year, Christmas is going to be about snuggling indoors, baking cookies, sipping hot chocolate and watching festive films in our comfies."

Anna Eastman, Childrensalon Senior Fashion Stylist

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."

"My wife is from Japan, so our Christmas dinner incorporates quite a fusion, with a spread that harmonises traditional British roast turkey alongside homemade sushi, tempura, and miso soup."

Michael Singleton, Childrensalon Senior Designer

With Sua Son, Senior Translations Project 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. Speaking of new beginnings, my youngest, Charlotte, came into our lives on Christmas Eve in 2019 — the most unforgettable New Year's Eve for me was when we celebrated the start of 2020 as a family of four.

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.

The house has tile flooring, so it can be a bit cold to walk around only in socks. So, I’ll be taking a few pairs of comfy slipper socks for the family to wear indoors. Charlotte, however, is obsessed with glittery heeled shoes, so I might surprise her with a pair of pink, sparkly Mary Janes from Manuela de Juan. She'll probably even sleep in them! My son, Oscar, on the other hand, is very much into reading DK fact books. His absolute favourite Childrensalon piece is the dinosaur puffer jacket from Molo; it's like wrapping himself in the pages of a DK book.”

"The most unforgettable New Year's Eve for me was in 2020 when we celebrated as a family of four for the first time."

Sua Son, Childrensalon Senior Translations Project Manager