POV: you’re sitting by the fireplace, a hot cup of candy cane cocoa warming up your hands. There’s a refreshing aroma of balsam mingled with freshly baked cookies in the air, so intoxicating you can practically taste it. Your furry cat is splayed out on your lap, and their soft purring makes your eyes heavy with calm. Your eyes are about to close when you hear a ding! and you remember you have a fresh batch of snickerdoodles in the oven. Whisking them out of the oven and onto a plate, you throw on your puffy coat and drive through the falling snow to your friend’s home, where you enjoy an evening of joy and festivities. That, my good people, is Hygge.
Hygge. You may have seen this word pop up more and more over the past couple years. You may have wondered, “What is it?” You may have heard it pronounced higgy, or hooga, or high-jee…Hygge has become this buzz word, adopted as a lifestyle by people around the world. A trend. And as with all trends, the true meaning of whatever people are obsessing over often gets lost. But I’m here to set the record straight. Hygge (pronounced hue-guh) is a Danish word used to describe or acknowledge a special feeling or moment. It is also the creation of intimacy with friends, family, or even yourself. Hygge is the warm glow of a candle flame or fireplace. Hygge is a joyful holiday dinner with friends. Hygge can be cozying up in your blankets for a good ol’ holiday movie, too. If the goal is to enjoy the present moment and feel happy that you’re alive, then it is hygge you’re after.
The Danes are really good at hygge. You kind of have to be when your winters are long, cold and dark, and the only place to be is at home. The people of Denmark bring hygge into their homes with warmth, wood, candles, and most importantly, good company. Denmark is recognized as one of the happiest countries in the world. There are many reasons for this: free education, free healthcare, and social equality. But hygge is definitely at the heart and soul of what it means to live Danishly. Danes love their homes, and enjoy showing them off to friends and family over dinner. While Danes love a rule, the requirements for having a hygge evening are quite simple. Coziness is paramount. So there are no shoes in the home, only slippers are to be worn inside. Second to that is food: preferably several courses, with rich conversation in between mouthfuls. At the end of a night well spent with friends or family, everyone usually thanks each other for a hyggeligt (cozy) evening.
Embracing the hygge for the holidays can help us grow our connections with the ones we love, it can fend off SAD (seasonal affective disorder) and even end-of-semester exam stress. When it’s dark outside for the greater part of the day, we must create our own light. Strike a match and light a candle (in a room with good ventilation – particulate air pollution from candle fumes are harmful!). Strike up a conversation with an old friend you haven’t reached out to in a while. Play some board games. Have a laugh. Let yourself have a good time and enjoy the present. There are plenty of books you can read to learn more about hygge, my favourite being “The Year of Living Danishly” by Helen Russell, a cheeky recount of a Brit discovering Denmark and uncovering the secret to their happiness (hint: danishes are definitely part of the equation). Another good read is “The Little Book of Hygge” which you can snuggle up with and read in the appropriate cozy attire.
However you choose to spend the holidays, whether you call it hygge or wellbeing or coziness or fun or happiness, I hope you experience it this season. Notice the nuances of a moment, enjoy its simplicity. After a year of hustling and working your ass off, give yourself space this season to bundle up, breathe, and simply be.