A Hygge State of Mind - The Way It Seems.... is not always the way it is.

Hygge. A word I’ve been seeing more and more and didn’t know what it was until I heard an NPR program devoted to it and what it means, where it comes from, why it’s good, and how to get it. First, the pronunciation: “hue-geh.” If you want a more detailed and audio description of its pronunciation, go here and get to where the guy in front of a fireplace is talking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yg9pksG_lsU

Apparently, there’s a hygge craze going on. I didn’t know. To be fair, apparently this has been more the rage in Europe, particularly Britain, although it is of Danish origin, and has not made a full-scale landing in the U.S.–yet. But it’s coming. And now that I know what it is, I realize I’ve been into my own hygge craze for some time now–it’s what I aim for every day, and usually manage to attain it.

So, according to the NPR report ( http://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2017/01/13/hygge-denmark-winter-happiness ), hygge is a state of mind that involves candlelight, fires, knitted socks, porridge (do Americans even know what porridge is?), cake, coffee, board games, things made of wood, other people–friends only, no strangers. It would be more accurate to say that these elements set the stage for hygge rather than comprise it. Now that I understand the basic concept, I would venture that this list doesn’t need to be adhered to strictly, but the atmosphere that they create is the goal to delivering this desired state of mind. At the beginning of the NPR piece, hygge is described as “finding happiness when the days are dark and cold,” and heaven knows we are in the midst of some very dark and cold days here in the U.S., especially this week as we await what could be our doom, as well as that of the planet, if the national event scheduled for the end of the week (1/20/17) actually takes place. I digress.

Hygge is reportedly enhanced by a physical storm raging outside–I get this. Hard to feel hygge if it’s all bright and sunshiny, and this I know from my transition from being a full-out sun worshipper in the first two-thirds of my life, to an aficionado of cloudy skies and gray days, especially with some wind or rain thrown in. I’ve been wondering what has prompted this transformation of myself, and now I know. It’s the quest for hygge. Some people use “coziness” as an English word that best defines hygge, and that is definitely a large part of it. It also means feeling safe and secure–like you might when snuggled under a warm comforter either in bed or on the couch when it’s, again, “dark and cold” outside.

The NPR program contributors emphasized the necessity of having other people, who are also friends, around in order to achieve hygge. Here is where I might depart from the original prescription, unless we are allowed to count four-legged friends. I have no problem invoking hygge with no other two-legged friends involved, but it would not be possible without at least one four-legged present–and preferably more than just one. I can also replace porridge with pizza and still find hygge. “Cake” from the original list can mean anything sweet–preferably baked–but I could find hygge with ice cream too. Tea can be substituted for coffee, but I don’t think that beer, most hard liquor, or soft drinks would do (don’t ask me why, but they don’t seem to fit somehow). Wine, maybe–it has a different feeling than beer, other alcohol, or sodas. It’s probably an individual thing.

My craving for hygge takes precedence over most social events and gatherings. Most of the time, I’d rather hunker down and incite some hygge than go out on the town and surround myself with activity and idle chatter. For me, socializing is best when it’s one on one, or maybe in a small group of three or four, but even then, the more people there are, the more elusive hygge becomes–again, for me. It’s a fairly handy craving to have, this craving for hygge. It means I can be more than content to happily avoid the madding crowds and find my contentment from within–most of the time.

I’m just glad to have a name put to what I’ve been seeking and finding these past several years. Thank you to the Danes for naming what the world needs now more than ever, and especially in this week and in those that follow.

(Note the hygge elements in the photo–fireplace, candles, coffee, cake, wooden coffee table, a friend–of the four legged sort in the lower left corner, and knitted socks, although not visible because they were on my feet.)

Laurette Long says:

January 16, 2017 at 6:12 am

Lovely piece as usual (and title) and one that will surely ‘speak’ to many in terms of an alternative lifestyle. As you say, hygge has certainly hit the headlines over here in Europe. Here’s a recent article with pics from ‘Madame Figaro’:

http://madame.lefigaro.fr/bien-etre/hygge-le-bonheur-a-la-danoise-en-six-preceptes-060117-128931
As you point out, its origins are Danish. And the ‘Scandis’ hit the headlines in Europe big time with their Scandi Noir TV series, The Killing, The Bridge etc. I don’t know if you got hooked on these? I was very surprised to arrive in the UK one winter to find the shops full of 1950s-like Fairisle sweaters until I realised these were the garment of choice of Sarah Lund, heroine of The Killing. Here’s a link to how they look in case anyone is interested, they would go nicely with the hygge socks!

http://www.sarahlundsweater.com

I first came across hygge on the Collins list (November) of top 10 words in 2016 and as one commentator pointed out, it is related to the English word ‘hug’. The other word on the list that I loved–and that goes hand-in-hand with the hygge thing–was JOMO=the Joy Of Missing Out, (ie disconnecting, enjoying your own thing). It had replaced the 2015 ‘hit’, FOMO=the Fear Of Missing Out (interesting how there was a 180 from 1 year to the next…). So now you know you’ve been doing it right all along, love the photo,and I’m sure the four-legged friends are just as ‘hyggerish’ as 2-legged ones. In these dark days of winter, let’s hear it for a bit of hygge and JOMO until the daffodils arrive…

nbabcock says:

January 16, 2017 at 1:04 pm

Thanks, Laurette, for both the kind words and the links, as well as for the info on JOMO. That’s perfect and another of my regular practices, even though I didn’t previously know it had a name. 99% of the time, for me, it’s so much more satisfying than being out there and searching, even if subconsciously, for that elusive something that is often hard to name.

Interestingly,. I see that Fairisle sweaters (popular when I was in college), have made a bit of a comeback here too, although I don’t think in as big a way as what you describe in England–but then again, maybe it has been as big, but in my JOMO state, I’ve totally missed it.

Wonder if the Danish have a word for hygge in the summer, or if it’s strictly reserved for winter? I think it needs a summer version, although in Denmark and other Western European countries, perhaps there’s not enough of a temperature difference between summer and winter to tell the difference (being facetious here, and perhaps a bit envious too, given our ultra-HOT South Carolina summers). Of course there’s that huge difference in daylight hours between winter and summer, and alone might kill the hygge. But still, I want a summer version and I’ll count on JOMO to help me get it pinned down and described.

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