A place to share things and experiences that enrich life, Charlie Weiss's Christmas Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building 8th floor is produced by Nicolai Bergmann, a Danish native and "Charlie's proud friend." From Wednesday, December 14th, the "Christmas Station" will open, where you can create your own original Christmas arrangement—a personal order—by adding your favorite ornaments to a base of a mini tree, round basket, or mini wreath.

Nicolai Bergmann talks about Christmas in Denmark

Shinya Kaneko, the buyer in charge of Charlie Weiss on the 8th floor Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building , asked Nicolai, "What is Christmas like in Denmark?" to which Nicolai replied, "It's like the Christmas you're imagining, like something out of a movie."

Nikolai and his family will be spending Christmas Day on the 24th. In Denmark, the national holiday period is from the 24th to the 26th.
Kaneko: In Japan, more and more people are spending Christmas with their families, but what kind of day is the 24th?
Nikolai wakes up slowly in the morning, eats breakfast, and then goes to church. The pastor tells Christmas stories, and everyone sings Christmas carols. If there is a cemetery at the church, they also pay their respects at the graves. Then he goes home, and around 6 pm, family and relatives gather for dinner.
Will Kaneko's relatives also be gathering?
Nikolai, for example, if you spend Christmas with your mother's parents and family this year, then next year you might spend it with your father's relatives. It's like a shift in tradition. My grandfather ran a wonderful apple orchard, so I spent Christmas there every year.

Christmas is an important event for "hygge," which means spending cozy time.

Kaneko , what do you do after dinner?
After dinner , we gather around the Christmas tree, holding hands as we walk around the lit candlelit tree, singing Christmas songs like "It's Christmas Again" and creating a festive atmosphere.
Kaneko , you really look like you're in a movie.
Then, Nikolai and everyone sit around the tree, playing games while enjoying coffee and snacks, and finally it's time for presents. The scene of everyone presenting their gifts to each other, with the presents laid out beneath the tree, is called a "hygge moment" in Denmark (Hygge = cozy), and it's truly wonderful.
It seems that in Denmark, the Kaneko family has a culture of enjoying meals together as a family.
After the 24th, Nikolai will have lunch with a different relative on the 25th, and on the 26th, he'll have lunch with just family or with friends. Then, on the 27th, he'll feel like he doesn't need to eat anymore (laughs). And from the 27th to January 1st, the company will be mostly closed.
Kaneko, what's the atmosphere like at the end of the year?
Nikolai, it feels similar to New Year's Day in Japan.

NEXT≫ What is a "Christmas Station" that expresses the special time of Christmas?