Pasqualina Gaultier is originally from Calabria in southern Italy. During her 15 years living in Italy, she organised parties—including fashion shows and beauty contests—but she always preferred to stay in the background. Now, as a passionate decorator in Andorra, her favourite holiday is Christmas. Her house is a real Christmas fairytale. We talked to Pasqualina about the Christmas magic she creates and why Christmas decorations are such an important part of our everyday lives, both for children and adults.
Interview: Irina Rybalchenko
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFYd993unDU&t=3s
Why did you decide to make Christmas decorations?
I think Christmas is one of the most important holidays of the year, because it represents so many things: not just Santa Claus, but also the birth of Jesus, the smiles on the faces of children… When I see the children in a dream world, when their eyes sparkle and when they come into your arms without you even knowing them, it’s the greatest gift that could ever happen and the reward for all that work. Also because I think that in today’s world, it’s hard to give happiness. We’re all so stressed. And I think it’s wonderful to be able to bring joy and believe in something magical.
How did your passion begin?
Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve loved decorating and creating things.
My mum was a couturier. Her whole family—all her sisters—were couturiers in haute couture. And my mum could make a dress in an hour without a pattern or anything.
As for my father, he could make Pinocchio out of bits of iron. He was a mechanic, and when he had time, he made things for us. In my family, we have this spirit of creation. That’s where it all comes from: it’s my parents.
Before that, when I lived in Italy, I was in the events business, managing a 5,000 square metre park and doing lots of birthdays, christenings, and so on.
But what stimulates my mind is when you give me a colour and a theme. And then, after that, things just take off. But there’s one condition: I have to work alone. Because in my head, I know how I have to work, I know what I want, what to achieve. It’s always been like that, even when I was having big parties. I had to be on my own.
Why do you love Christmas?
Christmas is magical for me. We expect something extraordinary. I think we need to pass that on to our children. Unfortunately, my grandson no longer believes in Santa Claus. And he said to me: “Santa Claus doesn’t exist!” So I replied: “Santa does exist. He was a man who, to celebrate the birth of Jesus, gave presents to children and adults. But then, like everyone else, he got old and asked his parents to replace him. So that’s why the parents give the presents to the children.”
How long did it take to prepare all the Christmas decorations?
It took about a month to get everything ready. I love details. Everything has to be coordinated and harmonious.
Do you change your decorations completely every year? Or do you prefer to keep certain details from one year to the next?
I change the scenes, I add things. For example, this year we represented the world of the sea, something you’ve never seen before in a Christmas village or in a Christmas decoration.
And yet it’s part of us, it’s part of the Earth… And this year, I’ve already got an idea for next year. I’d like to create scenes retracing the different eras of the Earth in a story so that there are dinosaurs—so that we can see the world from the beginning to the present day.
I will also try to recreate the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. I’ve already got the script in my head. I know it will be difficult, but I’ll do it anyway.
Do you usually have a plan? Or do you prefer to improvise?
Everything is improvised. For example, the idea of putting a rope from the balcony so that Father Christmas arrives on the trolley: I woke up one morning and said, that’s it, I’m going to do that. That’s the way it’s always been. And you know, my house is completely open to children.
Would you be interested in organising workshops and courses for children to teach them how to create Christmas decorations?
Yes, I think it’s possible. When I was there in Italy, I had a group of 27 children with whom we started to create things. They were 7-8 years old, the same age as my son at the time. For 15 years, we were together all the time, we won a lot of prizes, we did a lot of things. But now they’ve grown up, it’s OK, they’ve got their own lives…
What would you wish our readers for 2025?
All I could say to people is: Love each other! Stop criticising, stop being in denial and being unkind, because it serves no purpose. Forgive, because if you can forgive someone who has hurt you, you’re doing it for yourself first. It’s a weight off your shoulders. And stop hurting children.
Don’t wait until December to do something good. You have to do it all year round, all your life.
I’m always in the spirit of helping people. For example, there’s one thing that often happens to me: when I go shopping and I see someone in difficulty, I’ll help them and pick them up in my car. It’s simple—it’s easy to give up your seat on the bus to an elderly person or a pregnant person, for example. It’s no big deal, but it can change your day! You have to try and be positive. And I think you have to give in order to receive.
