I
want to move to Denmark! Know why?? Because it is considered one of the two
happiest countries in the world😊 (The other is
Norway.) Want to know what makes all
those Danish people so happy? Well, at
least one of the main things is that they practice HYGGE (pronounced as I’m
told as “hoo-ga”). I have recently read a few articles explaining
HYGGE, and I must say I am very intrigued.
British journalist Helen Russell wrote about HYGGE in her 2015 book The Year of Living Danishly. She defines HYGEE as “taking pleasure in the
presence of gentle, soothing things.” I
like the sound of that! In a publication
put out by an insurance company HYGEE was referred to as The Cozy Craze. Cozy….one of my favorite words! And one of my favorite ways to spend my
time.
So
how does a person practice HYGGE? Well,
here are a few examples:
*grab
a blanket, a good book, & a cup of hot chocolate and just chill out😊
*have
an intimate dinner for two….or enjoy a night out with friends
*go
for a leisurely stroll in the woods or the park
*turn
out the lights, light some candles, & cozy up in front of the fireplace
(I
read somewhere that Denmark burns more candles per capita than any other
country!)
*pack
some wine and cheese and go on a picnic….alone or with someone special
*sit
in the porch swing with your child or grandchild and just talk (no cell phones
allowed!)
*have
a Pajama Day and binge on old movies
*soak
awhile in a hot bubble bath with your favorite music playing in the background
HYGGE
can be thought of as anything that brings you “coziness” and “calm” whether
with family, friends, or just yourself.
Doesn’t that sound positively wonderful?
With all the stress many/most of us face these days, I think we should
all follow the example of the Danes and HYGGE as much as possible!
I’m
off to pour a glass of wine, grab some oldie but goldies, and soak awhile in a
nice hot bubble bath! How about you??? What is your HYGGE?
I happened across your blog and I am your newest follower. I will put you on my sidebar because I read from there. I saw that article about the happiest people, too. I watched a documentary a while back that said the Finnish people were more of a dour people and were happiest being dour. lol I thought that was kind of funny. Nice to find you. xo Diana
ReplyDeleteDiana, thanks so much for reading my blog and commenting. I'm trying to get it started again and (hopefully) will stick to it this time:) I am off now to try and find your blog. Have a lovely spring day!
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