Hygge for the Holidays

Have you heard of the Danish concept of hygge? It’s pronounced “heurga,” and while it’s hard to define in English, we think of it as “radical coziness.”

Winter is high time for hygge in Denmark, when endless winter descends and people look to soft lighting, blankets and warm mugs of hot mulled wine for comfort and pleasure.

Hygge represents a type of mindfulness and community that tends to get lost in early winter as the gift giving and shopping mania take hold. Hygge is curling up with a book in front of the fire; enjoying a candlelit meal with your family; savoring a pastry; or snuggling on the couch with a loved one under a soft blanket and just being together.

Beautifully scented candles, fleece-lined boots, warm quilts and soft sweaters serve to enhance your hygge experience, but in its essence, hygge is free. And once you start looking for it, you’ll begin to see opportunities for it everywhere.

(First photo by ej44 courtesy Wiki Commons)