The Little Book Of Hygge

The Little Book Of Hygge is about the hard-to-describe, yet powerful Danish attitude towards life, which consistently ranks Denmark among the happiest countries in the world and how you can cultivate it for yourself.

Since it’s so hard to grasp, let’s first dive deeper into the etymology of the word “hygge.” Its earliest written roots go back to an old Norwegian word meaning “wellbeing” and date to the early 1800s. Other possible origins might be variants of the words “hug,” another old Norwegian term for “comfort” and another for “mood.”

While most modern interpretations have settled on “coziness” as an appropriate translation, Meik says this not quite gets the point either. There might be related concepts around the world, such as the German “Gemütlichkeit,” the Canadian “hominess” or the Dutch “gezelligheid” (who’s German equivalent “Geselligkeit” is also similar), but none of those paint a full picture.

Hygge isn’t just an idea. It’s a mood. A feeling. An action, even. In Denmark, hygge is a part of people’s sense of self.

That’s why an especially snug café might be called hyggelig if lounging there makes you feel good. You could even invite a friend to hygge together or revel in particular kinds of hygge, like kaffehygge or the julehygge of Christmas season.

I feel by making so much room for this word and concept in their lives, what the Danish are telling us is to make time to enjoy life, be happy and practice contentment.

As you can guess from that coffee example, the atmosphere you hygge in is very important. Indeed, feeling at home requires a homey place, so unless you create one, you’ll have a hard time getting into the right mood. It’s why the Danish are obsessed with candles, lighting and lamp design and natural elements like wood in interior design. Some things that promote hygge at home are: Dimly, but sufficiently lit rooms. Candles, scented or unscented. Beautifully designed, sleek lamps. Wide, open rooms and surfaces. A fireplace or a stove. Shelves, boards and other interior design elements made of wood. A hyggekrog – a cosy corner specifically designed to snuggle up, enjoy a hot beverage and read or relax. The Danes sure live up to these foundational hygge factors. At 6 kg or 13 lbs of candles burned per person per year, the Danes are Europe’s number one candle light junkies. They also have almost 2 rooms per person in living space. You see, it doesn’t take much to feel hyggelig in your own four walls. All of these you can work on and get decent results in a single weekend. It does take a conscious effort on your end, though. Right now, my couch is…