It’s the middle of December. You just finished a long week at work and decided to take it easy tonight. You text your best friend, head home, change into your favorite pair of pajamas and put on your fuzziest socks. Before you dive into that Netflix queue, though, there are a few more things on your checklist. Excitedly, you line up all of your favorite candles, getting a preview of each one’s scent as you light it. You break out the decorative ceramic teapot you bought last winter and brew your favorite tea. You turn off the lights and plug in some twinklers that are strung along the walls. Just at this moment, your friend rings the doorbell with freshly baked cookies. Fully prepared now, you head into the cozy paradise you’ve created and enjoy a perfect winter evening.
Hopefully, you experienced feelings of happiness and comfort just imagining this scenario. That feeling – being warm, cozy, and appreciative of the things and people around you – is encompassed by the Danish word hygge.
Pronounced ‘hoo-gah,’ hygge doesn’t actually have a translation in English, but many agree that its closest equivalent is ‘coziness.’ Coming from the Norwegian term hugga, which means “to comfort,” hygge made a quick ascent in British and American culture over the past year, even earning a spot on the shortlist for the Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year 2016.
According to Denmark’s official tourism site, “The warm glow of candlelight is hygge. Friends and family – that’s hygge too. There’s nothing more hygge than sitting round a table, discussing the big and small things in life.” It’s not surprising that this notion has become a mega trend, especially because earlier this year, the World Happiness Report found Danes to be the happiest people on the planet.
Some argue that hygge is actually a conspiracy to sell books, cashmere sweaters and hot chocolate, or that Danes are able to appreciate the small things like this due to so many other aspects of their lives (education, social security, health care, family leave, paid vacation, the list goes on…) being superior to a large majority of the world. To that, Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute, a Danish think tank, says that Danes are conscious of “the decoupling between wealth and wellbeing” and the fact that “after basic needs are met, more money doesn’t lead to more happiness.”
There are, however many wonderful things about hygge, the best of which being the fact that is actually achievable by just about anyone. Rich or poor, big home or small, large families, couples, and individuals alike can experience hygge. It isn’t about money or class, but it’s about finding pleasure in what you do have, treasuring the people in your life, and enjoying the little things. Brewing a fragrant pot of coffee and putting on socks takes an extra few moments, but creates a feeling that wouldn’t be there otherwise. Deciding to turn on a dim lamp rather than a bright ceiling light may seem trivial, but will change the entire atmosphere of your home on a winter night.
Whatever your opinion, it’s hard to argue with the feeling of coziness during the holiday season. What will you do to find hygge this winter? Let us know in the comments.
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