“The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.” William Morris [Louisa Thomsen Brits, The book of Hygge, 2016, p. 84.]
Hygge (pronounced ‘hue-gah’) is a Danish way of living, meaning togetherness, closeness, cosiness, authenticity, simplicity. Hygge are little moments, like feeling happy when having dinner or playing board games with your close friends. It’s when you’re snuggled in your warm blanket and having your favourite tea and biscuits. It’s when darkness falls and you light the room with dimmed side lights and candles. Hygge can be music, books, magazines, food, interior designs, crafts, summer, spring, autumn, winter, family, friends, etc.
And of course, the Christmas season is very hygge. If you’d like to read more about this concept (or are thinking of buying a hygge book as a Christmas present), I’d like to recommend some recent publications, for example the beautifully illustrated work of Marie Tourell Søderberg, a book of quotations and deeper explanations by Louisa Thomsen Brits, a step-by-step guide to the art of living hygge offers by Meik Wiking and an in-depth analysis of hygge that can be found in Charlotte Abrahams’s book.
Do you remember any nice hygge moments from your life? Let me know more about them in the comments below.
Written by Kinga Macalla