Inviting the Spirit of Hygge—Part 1

It’s a late November day, the same monotonous hue of slate gray permeates the sky from 7:30 am to 4pm. The wind howls in gusts, and after finishing morning chores, I’d much rather be inside. As the incredibly short and gray days accumulate, it’s easy to feel gloomy, lethargic, and melancholy. Springtime, alas, is as yet a long way off—time for an intervention!

The Danish concept of hygge (said hoo-gah)—variations of which are also practiced across Scandinavia—is a perfect place to start amidst the gray and darkness of winter. With long traditional roots, hygge is the purposeful practice of fostering coziness and joy. Hygge can be practiced any time of the year, but there’s something about winter that makes it especially meaningful and necessary.

There’s no need for overblown fanfare or outrageous expense in order to bring hygge into your life. In fact, it’s often best found in little, everyday moments or things that can help shift your perspective from grudging to savoring the moment. It could be reading a good book by the fire, sipping a steaming cup of cocoa while watching the snow flit past the window, or building a snowball version of the family dog in the yard with the kids.

Inviting the spirit of hygge into the home is something you can start today. Start with your senses as a guide and adapt the ideas offered below to what brings you and your family comfort and joy.

Smell. Smell is a much more powerful sense than we often consider. Smell holds the key to our strongest memories. The holidays are a wonderful time for good smells that bring hygge.

• Bake homemade cookies or a pie. The whole house will smell fantastic! If you don’t need more sweets in your home, spontaneously give them to someone who would enjoy them. Generosity is also part of hygge, as it warms both the heart of the receiver and the giver.
• Make your own balsam wreath. Lay down plastic or newspaper first to protect your work surface and enjoy that wonderfully piney smell as you work. You can also string garland of pine or make a simple arrangement stuck into florist foam as a centerpiece. Bringing greenery into the home is an ancient tradition of reminding us that spring will return, and the natural scent of balsam fir is delightful.
• Mull cider. This is a slow process that works great in a crock pot or on the stovetop. Infuse apple cider (the real kind with the pulp in the bottom of the jug) with cinnamon, star anise, clove, cranberries, and oranges. Let the flavors meld together and infuse the steaming drink with their pungent aroma and flavor. Your home will also be infused with the warming, spicy smell.

Sound. Hearing is one of the first senses we gain and one of the last to leave us at the end of life. Many of the sounds we encounter, however, can be just noise, so hygge invites us to cultivate what we hear in meaningful ways.

• Find time for quiet. When you’re out walking the dog, leave the ear buds behind and listen to the hushed sounds of the forest. Enjoy a steaming mug with nothing but the gentle crackle of the fire. Make friends with quietness, and it can ease the hurried pace of life and offer respite.
• Choose music that invites hygge. Maybe you need something that helps you get up and dance, invites you to sing along, or helps you feel at ease. Instead of using music to escape loneliness or power through the afternoon, find or make music that helps you feel connected to greater wellbeing.
• Start storytelling circles. You can read books aloud as a family, invite memory sharing, or play pass-the-story. Storytelling is another ancient way to enjoy wintertime, and now with online platforms like Zoom, you can connect your story circle with whoever you like, no matter where they may be.
Sight. When surrounded by darkness, create light. Soft, warm, glowing light is best, as this has been shown to ease stress compared with bright, harsh light. Here are some ideas.

• Decorate a tree. It could be real or fake (though the real ones smell better), whatever works best to hang those pretty little lights and break out the heirloom ornaments. Sit in the darkened room and savor the sight of your beautiful tree, rather than an electronic device or the TV. One of my favorite holiday memories as a kid is laying beneath the Christmas tree looking up through the branches. I could have happily been there for hours. If you’ve never done that, try it! (And no, how old you are doesn’t count as an anti-hygge excuse.)
• Build a fire. Some say that staring into the coals of a fire connects us with our ancestors. I love watching the dancing flames and glowing embers. And it’s warming too in such a comforting way. There’s nothing like sitting by the fire after being out in the cold.
• Light a candle, or a few. A classic example of Nordic hygge practice is small candles lit on windowsills. You’ve probably seen it depicted on Christmas cards. The idea is to create a welcoming environment, visible even from a distance outside. Candles on the mantle or dining room table work well too.

Next week, we’ll venture into more senses and ways to invite the spirit of hygge into your home. Try some of these suggestions and see if that same spirit can leap from this page and into your heart. See you down on the farm sometime.