I’m back! My apologies for the absence. I was working through some things and in the midst of all that I got the flu (or something that was equally horrible). I’m finally feeling like myself again. In more ways than one, I am back.
By now at least some of you have seen the word “hygge” somewhere in your Pinterest searches. Since so much of Pinterest is pure clickbait for me, I of course was lured into finding out what this odd-looking word meant.
First let’s talk about how silly it feels to say the word hygge. It’s pronounced hoo-ga. It’s up there with the word “pho.” You know, that delicious Vietnamese dish of flavorful broth laden with noodles. I know “pho” is pronounced like my favorite four-letter word minus the hard “k” sound, and yet I continue to want to pronounce it like “faux.”
So what does hygge mean? That’s hard to answer as hygge doesn’t really have an English translation. So I consulted this book: The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living by Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen.
The book describes hygge as “an atmosphere and an experience, rather than about things. It is about being with the people we love. A feeling of home. A feeling that we are safe, that we are shielded from the world and allow ourselves to let our guard down. You may be having an endless conversation about the small or big things in life – or just be comfortable in each other’s silent company – or simply just be by yourself enjoying a cup of tea.” It’s also how the Danes survive dreary winters with very little sunlight.
From reading The Little Book of Hygge, I’ve gathered that some of the key elements of hygge are the following:
Cozy lighting – candles or lights that give off a candle-like glow, string lights, etc.
Quality time with quality people
Comfort food – A hearty stew, fresh baked bread, baked goods, everything I want to eat right now
Hot drinks – Cocoa, mulled wine, tea!
Casual, comfy clothing – Soft sweaters and woolen socks
My translation: Hygge is about being yourself with those you hold dear and reveling in the simpler side of life, rather than getting caught up in the trappings of things and titles and all that pretentious stuff that doesn’t really matter when our time on this planet is up. I also see it as an intentionally creating a feeling of safety and warmth.
Reading The Little Book of Hygge did leave me with two questions though: 1.) When are we moving to Denmark? And 2.) Is the Happiness Research Institute hiring?
Jokes aside, hygge is something I can get behind. I think I’ve been hygge-ing (that’s not a real word) for some time now. It might even be an unspoken theme of this blog space, but with different phrasing. Instead of saying hygge, I’m saying create a world around you that is safe and warm and gentle, one where you can be yourself, perhaps be a little vulnerable, and one where you can playfully pursue what makes you happy.
In the spirit of hygge, which emphasizes cozy, genuine experiences over actual things, I thought I’d make a little catalogue of some of my favorite recent hygge moments:
Our perfect day on Monhegan Island, Maine – Just a perfect day of hiking, sea glass hunting, and a shared beer flight at the end of it all.
Last September’s wine weekend with our dear friends Stephanie and Sam – the picnic lunches enjoyed in between wineries and our game night at our rented AirBnB after our day of wine tasting
Warming up around the woodstove and talking about our days while visiting our friends in Maine
Any time I curl up with a mug of tea and a book that transports me right into its story line
There have been many other hygge moments, and there will be many more to come.
What are some of your hygge moments?
My friend Jenny gave me another hygge-themed book to read, The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World’s Happiest Country. Has anyone else read this one? Thoughts?