Tessa

A CHRISTMAS IN TWO WORLDS

“Christmas is not about following specific traditions, but rather about spending time with the people we love and perhaps do not get to see very often. You have to bring your own joy to the table and let go of the many expectations that can come with Christmas,” says Tessa, who grew up with two childhood homes and was therefore used to a Christmas divided in two. Two Christmas Eve celebrations that looked very different.

Christmas at Tessa’s mother’s home was classic and steeped in tradition, while her father’s home offered a more relaxed setting and greater freedom. As a child, Tessa felt at home in both places. As an adult, however, she enjoys having the freedom to decide for herself how she wants to celebrate Christmas. She still celebrates with her family, but can step away from the festivities whenever she feels like it. When she hosts Christmas herself, she gets to decide how the celebration should unfold.

Between two homes

Tessa’s Christmas table for Royal Copenhagen draws inspiration from her upbringing and the two very different realities she moved between as a child, where celebrating Christmas twice did not necessarily mean twice the Christmas joy.

To reflect her own experience of Christmas, while also acknowledging the many children and young people growing up between two homes, as well as the parents who do their best every day to make it all work, she has divided her table into two. Not to favour one Christmas over the other, but to show that Christmas can take many different forms and that love can have a home in more than one place. Tessa wants to show that what may appear chaotic to some can, for others, be a source of freedom and togetherness. The hard-hitting rapper with a tender heart leaves room for individual interpretation with her Christmas table. She also invites us to reflect on the idea of the perfect Christmas.

Tessa (b. 1997)

Tessa (b. 1997), whose full name is Theresa Ann Fallesen, is one of the most distinctive voices in Danish music and has, in just a few years, established herself as a cultural figure far beyond the rap scene. With roots in the Copenhagen suburbs west of the city and an uncompromising, direct and instantly recognisable style, she has built a strong position in the Danish music scene and an exceptionally devoted fanbase. At the same time, she has moved naturally between music, fashion, television and acting, most recently playing care assistant Sille in the TV 2 series Løgnen. Her story and career have also been portrayed in the documentaries Tessas Hævn (Tessa’s Revenge) and Tessas Succes (Tessa’s Success).