The world outside has snuggled down under the night’s puffy duvet. The warm candlelight flickers in the mason jars on the table while soft jazz plays quietly. My friend and I sit on the sofa, playing a game – we tell stories inspired by the pictures we can see on the dice we throw by turns. I have brewed some lovely Oolong tea in my little red teapot, and we sip the delicate drink from tiny tea bowls. It is snug and warm. It is cosy. It is hygge.
Another evening. Dusk is slowly closing in. We are at my husband’s pyrography workshop. He is an artist who burns pictures onto the wood. It is not surprising, then, that we can smell the smokey scent of wood. The stereo sends soft piano sounds floating to our ears. This time, fairy lights glow with the warm, gold light in the jars. There are three of us, each occupied with burning images onto wooden disks. It is snug and warm. It is cosy. It is hygge.
Yet another evening. And again, there are candles and some gentle music. My husband and I sit at the table. We eat dinner that we have cooked together. We talk. It is snug and warm. It is cosy. It is hygge.
And another evening. I am wrapped in a blanket. I listen to my favourite tunes while reading my book, totally engrossed. My cat sleeps next to me, looking like a soft fur ball. I sip hot cocoa. It is warm and snug. It is cosy. It is hygge.
Hygge (pronounced hoo-gah) is a Danish concept that encourages us to enjoy little, pleasant and cosy things.
Of course, she told me about hygge. Somehow, she knows all those beautiful little concepts from around the world.
“What is hygge?” I asked her once.
“Hygge?” she smiled dreamily.
“Yes… I have never heard of it before,” I say, a little embarrassed.
“Hygge is a Danish concept that encourages us to enjoy little, pleasant and cosy things like a comfy blanket, a fireplace or candles, a cup of mulled wine and woolly socks,” she explains, her voice full of kindness and inspiration, “It invites us to spend some quality time with our nearest and dearest, like cooking together, playing board games, star gazing, going for a walk or watching a film. Hygge are all those lovely, enjoyable moments. It is the time of relaxation, resting and celebrating life with the people we love the most. The weather doesn’t matter. Neither does the season or the current situation of the world. What matters are all those magical moments we can create ourselves at home. Isn’t that beautiful?”
“Yes. Yes, it is beautiful,” I said, making hygge a daily practice, a ritual I so look forward to after a long stressful day.
Birkiverse 