Holiday stories | Ben and Eydís

From our community: Holiday traditions

In the weeks leading up to the holidays, we’re sharing stories from our community, moments of warmth, family, and the personal traditions that shape the season for each of us.

Benjamin & Eydís

Long-term collaborators of 66°North, Benjamin and Eydís share their lives between Iceland and Australia, and their holiday traditions reflect that same blend of worlds.

For them, the season begins when they set up the Christmas tree. “We put on Icelandic holiday music and watch as the blue hour light settles outside. The snow, the quiet, the music, it’s such a specific Icelandic feeling, and we repeat it every year” says Benjamin.

Their favorite memory is from their first Icelandic and Australian holiday, celebrating on both the 24th and 25th of December and mixing foods and traditions from both sides of their family. “It’s special to think that our daughter will always get to experience two versions of the holidays. She kind of gets two for one.”

When it comes to staying warm through the season, the answer is easy. “We both absolutely love the Tindur down jacket. It’s kept us warm in every condition, I’ve even worn it at the North Pole,” says Benjamin. “And on our wishlist? Definitely more colorways of the Keilir down. It’s such a good midlayer, and we love playing with color under a shell. It just makes every outfit a bit more fun.”

Now that they’re celebrating with their daughter, the holidays have taken on a new meaning. “It’s really about showing her both sides of who we are, the Icelandic and the Australian, through the food, the music, and the traditions. It’s such a strange mix of cultures, but it’s ours, and something we’ll always keep.”

And of course, there’s the food. “You can’t beat it,” Benjamin says. “On the 24th, almost every household in Iceland is eating the same comforting dishes. It’s all new to me, coming from a classic roast-style holiday, but I look forward to it every year.”

What truly brings them into the holiday spirit is seeing it all through their daughter’s eyes. “Watching her put up decorations, getting so excited over every single ornament, that’s when the season really starts for us.”