Hygge - Danish Secrets to Happy Living

Lifestyle

Aug 18

Hygge is those crisp mornings when the light shining through your window is just right. It is about gratitude and savoring the simple pleasures in life, the pursuit of everyday happiness.

Casual is key. Whether curling up by the fire with a cozy blanket and your favorite book, or listening to beautiful music with candles and some of the best pastries around. Hygge is sure to enhance life for the better.

Hygge’s heaviest months are in the winter time especially around Christmas with the warm fires and all the coziness and parties.. Ahhhhh. It’s my favorite time of the year. I will have plenty of Holiday cheer and yummy recipes to share with you.

There are many ways to be as hyggelig as possible in the summer and warmer seasons. You can have a picnic on the dock, decorate with seashells, pull out the lightweight throw blankets, have cool summer treats for dessert, and of course candles all year round!

Stay tuned for future posts on how to decorate and feel Hygge during different seasons.

What is Hygge? (Pronounced Hoo-Ga). Some pronounce it Hooga, Hhyooguh, Hygee.. It is not important how you choose to pronounce or even spell it. It is how you feel it. Hygge is becoming more and more popular around the globe. Danes are famously the happiest people in the world and Hygge is a cornerstone of their way of life.

Similar to the German concept of gemütlichkeit and the Dutch idea of gezelligheid, the warm and cozy lifestyle that hygge promotes has been a key part of Danish culture since the early 1800s when the word first appeared in the written language (it's derived from a Norwegian word for "well-being"). The Norwegian term, Hugga, meaning “to comfort” is related to the English word “hug”. Hygge loosly translates as a sense of comfort, togetherness, and well-being. It is about an atmosphere and experience, rather than things. It is a feeling of home, a mood, a coziness. It is enjoying comfort food with our closest friends. A feeling that we are safe, allowing ourselves to let our guard down. You may be having conversations about the smallest things or big things in life, or may simply be alone enjoying a cup of tea.

Growing up, every evening my mother would always have candles lit and soft pretty music on in the background. After school snacks would often be popcorn, apples and cheese slices - yum - And hot cocoa on the chilly days. We didn’t always need the fanciest things, but it sure was comfortable and cozy in our home. We had frequent dinner guests, good food and good times. That is also how it was for my grandparents and generations before. It is important to us that our children grow up with warm memories of the same, and then pass them on to their children.

Having Scandinavian and deep European roots, I could feel it in my bones that this was part of me. Since I was a little girl this has always been a way of life, not just a trend. I did not realize there was a word (or words) for it until I was older. It all made sense. Especially now having a family of my own, I cannot go a single day without hygge throughout our home. Whether baking yummy treats, bringing in fresh plants and flowers, I try to make sure there is that homey feel every time someone walks in the door. Every night candles in all the rooms are glowing, peaceful music is playing, cozy throw blankets and pillows are plentiful. There is always good food and desserts to go around and life is right despite the burdens of the world spinning outside our door. I get so excited and light up just talking about it. How good it is to share with others. And how great it is to take good care of yourself. Guilt free. I have always thought, it is the simple things that can mean the most and make you the happiest.

There is a must have book called The Little Book Of Hygge. It is written by Meik Wiking, CEO of The Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, which is an independent think tank focusing on well-being, happiness, and quality of life. They explore the causes and effects of human happiness and work toward improving the quality of life and citizens across the world. Click on the link or photo to pick up a copy of this little coffee table gem.