Iben Hjejle

ROOM FOR ONE MORE

“Christmas has changed as my family has evolved over the years. In my earliest childhood, we celebrated a traditional Christmas at my paternal grandmother’s home, but after my parents divorced, Christmas moved into my childhood home. With new family constellations and, consequently, a greater variety of traditions, Christmas became a lively patchwork affair for several years, organised by my mother and stepfather,” says Iben Hjejle, who remembers Christmas Eves filled with music, children and a wonderful sense of abundance, where there was always room for one or more guests who had nowhere else to spend Christmas.

Iben has fond memories of Christmas parties that continued well into the night, with board games, late-night snacks and a relaxed, carefree atmosphere. In keeping with the true spirit of Christmas, there was always room for one more guest. A generosity that Iben has carried with her ever since.

Guardians of the family’s legacy

Later in life, when Iben had children of her own and became part of a blended family, Christmas brought new challenges. These were met with a big Christmas party for family and friends on 22 December, where everyone could join in. Since then, she has also celebrated Christmas Eve with her siblings and their children, spent Christmas abroad or enjoyed a quiet Christmas in her own company.

Iben’s Christmas table for Royal Copenhagen has been created together with her younger sister, Naja Asbjørn Olesen. Together, they have brought to life a scene inspired by the free-spirited and lively Christmas celebrations of their childhood home. Books, sheet music and musical touches pay tribute to their parents, both of whom were musical and intellectual by nature. The table has been laid with whatever was at hand, combining mismatched porcelain, different tablecloths and a little hideaway beneath the table for children, dogs and Christmas elves. As guardians of the family’s legacy following their parents’ passing, Iben and Naja have gathered treasures from the family’s collection of heirlooms and mixed them with porcelain from Royal Copenhagen. The result is an expressive declaration of love for the diversity of family life.

Iben Hjejle (b. 1971)

Iben Hjejle (b. 1971) is a Danish actress who graduated from the Danish National School of Performing Arts in 1996. She is known for her role in the Klovn universe and a wide range of Danish and international film and television productions, most recently Nøjsomheden, directed by Hella Joof, and Den Gode Stemning on TV 2. On stage, she has portrayed strong women in major classics, including Endnu en dag i Guds Skaberværk at the Royal Danish Theatre and Lægen at Folketeatret, a role that earned her a Reumert Award. Iben has recently received the Lauritzen Foundation Award.