Christmas for nine in a former coaching inn where the tree glows across the whole downstairs

By the time the calendar flips to the year’s last month, signs of the approaching midwinter holiday start appearing in the windows at home. The Eskelinen family’s Christmas is rooted in Enni’s childhood home in Heinävesi, and Antti’s childhood home in Kouvola, shaped by the customs and habits they’ve carried with them.

“We have a very traditional Christmas, food and all, but the holiday won’t be ruined if something is left undone. There’s no need to stress about customs and traditions. The most important thing is spending Christmas together as a family,” Enni says.

Enni is a professional pastry chef. Savory treats, like pasties and Karelian pies, are essential to the family’s Christmas. Various cheese boards are often set out, too. Antti says he’s now baked traditional Finnish archipelago bread himself for the second year, so he figures it’s fair to call that a tradition soon.

Sometimes Christmas is spent just with the family, but often family friends who live farther away join, too. The kids think having another family as Christmas guests is simply the best. Few homes are better suited to hosting a large group for several days. It’s also fun to throw pre-Christmas parties, because there’s such a generous amount of space.

Antti has one tradition he won’t easily give up.

“The tree has to come from our own land—that’s what brings the Christmas spirit,” he says.

The home is surrounded by plenty of land for Christmas-tree outings and the peace of the countryside. The estate once served as a coaching inn and a care home. The newer wing was built in 1924, while the older part dates back to the 1800s. Today, you hardly notice the different eras—the spaces flow seamlessly from old to new. Five years ago, the Eskelinen family moved into the home, beautifully and thoroughly renovated by its previous residents.

The villagers were delighted when the family moved in—it brought continuity to life on the estate and new pupils to the village school.

“We’ve mostly just painted walls and floors ourselves—the major renovations had already been done,” Enni says.

The kitchen is an especially striking sight. There’s ample cabinet space and generous countertops. Enni says she probably wouldn’t have chosen such dark cabinetry herself, but now she really loves the atmosphere the cabinets create.

Essentially the entire ground floor is one large, continuous space, except for the parents’ room and the sauna area. Along one side there’s an open view from end to end across the house’s full 20-meter length (66 ft). When the tree is set up along that side, its gentle glow reaches everywhere.

On Christmas Eve, they have rice porridge around midday. After that, they spend a long time outdoors. A traditional Christmas dinner is set on the table.

“After the meal, we go to the sauna. Last Christmas we got to use the new outdoor sauna by the edge of the yard pond for the first time,” Antti says.

In earlier years, the family would tumble into a shared bed after the Christmas Eve bustle, but that custom has faded—even though in this house there’d be space to lay a whole row of guest beds if needed.

While Antti’s Christmas spirit comes from the tree-fetching trip, Enni’s is sparked by carols. The angel chimes—part of Enni’s childhood Christmases—tinkle on top of the piano.

Making music easily gets sidelined by everyday life, but in December, Antti’s guitar tunes bring thoughts back again and again to the wonder of Christmas.

The whole house is ready for the festivities. The long-awaited Christmas can arrive.