A Common Thread with Samantha Varvel
What are your family Christmas Rituals?
One of my favorite Christmas traditions that my parents started when I was a child was letting each of us children (I’m one of five) open up a single gift on Christmas Eve. It was always pajamas! We would all dress up in our new matching nighties and read the story of Christmas together. We would excitedly go to sleep waiting for Santa Claus to arrive by morning. The pajamas somehow made it all the more magical, and that aspect of Christmas Eve is such a special ritual that I now continue on with my own kids.
What are the most special moments for you during the Christmas season?
My mother had such a special way of making Christmas feel so magical for us children. I strive to bring that same magic into the holidays for my own family - from the little things like lighting the candles on her collection of German Christmas pyramids around the house, to warm cinnamon buns on Christmas morning. But really it’s the feeling of togetherness and always making the effort to be under the same roof for the holidays that meant the most.
What will you be doing in your smocked Nightingale dress this Christmas season?
I love how classic, traditional and nostalgic the Smock London Nightingale dresses feel. This will be our third year wearing them (and all the more special in our collaborative design) and they really bring the magic to the holiday season for us. I look forward to reading holiday books and telling stories in our Nightingale dresses as Christmas day approaches!
What is your favourite book to read to your children during December?
We love “Red and Lulu” - living so close to New York City it is special to read a story about the famous Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center and the tale of how it arrived in the big city with two little cardinals who once called it their home in the countryside.
What is your favourite piece in the Smock London collection?
It is so hard to choose! I love the striped piping detail on the traditional white nightgowns, but I am also partial to the adorable heart-shaped stitching on the striped children’s nightgown. I am so happy we were able to introduce a coordinating pajama for boys in each set.
