We could all use a little hygge 🕯️

We could all use a little hygge. 

You may have heard the word hygge being tossed around here and there. While the Danish word has roots dating back to the Middle Ages, the concept of hygge has risen to popularity in the past few years — even being inaugurated into the Oxford English Dictionary in 2016. But what exactly is it all about?

Hygge, pronounced somewhere between HUE-gah and HOO-gah (we don’t quite have the right vowel sound in English), is best described as a feeling of coziness, contentment, and that familiar warm fuzzy feeling. In other words, it’s basically leaning into the cottage-core, wholesome activities and vibes that make your soul feel safe and warm. Hygge is a specific feeling without a specific means of achieving it. Often associated with candlelight, soft blankets, and cozy sweaters, hygge can be a homey night in with your loved ones and a bottle of wine as much as it can come from a walk in the woods. It’s all about removing yourself from the hustle and bustle of daily life for a while and taking some time to relish in the simple pleasures of life. Denmark is consistently ranked within the top five happiest countries in the world — do with that information what you will.

With the days growing increasingly shorter and the temperature getting increasingly glacial, it’s a great time to embrace the hygge of the winter months and treat the coziness as a welcome gift rather than cursing the season. Don’t want to go outside because it’s raining or snowing? What a perfect opportunity to bake some cookies by the candlelight to your favourite jazz album! Perspective, baby.

It’s no coincidence that hygge sounds like hug. So wrap yourself in a little tender lovin’ hygge this winter and embrace the slow life.