You might have heard the word hygge before or seen it printed on book covers or glossy magazine pages. Maybe you have never heard of it before and are trying to read and pronounce it for the first time, perhaps in English. Either way, here is how it sounds in Danish, the language, country and culture of hygge:
In a country where the average yearly precipitation is 746 mm, the average daily hours of sunlight are 4.9 hours, and the yearly average temperature is 8.3o, we, the Danes, must have something else, do something else, to maintain a steady placement in the top of the world happiness index.
With winter jackets resembling duvets and raincoats that could be bulletproof, we go home during a pitch-black afternoon, wondering whether we got the time wrong and it actually is night. The wind squeals in the streets, but inside awaits the honey-soft golden light, flickering candles, and the company of people we hold dear. Something we call hygge. You may be familiar with the notion of hygge, as we Danes firmly stand the ground that hygge cannot be translated —neither as a noun nor an idea.
Hygge—be it having a conversation with friends, drinking a coffee or a beer, or simply appreciating a piece of art—is creating a warm and pleasant atmosphere in enjoyable surroundings. Hygge is not just one thing, not just one feeling or one occasion. Hygge is a part of our lifestyle, a sensation we cherish, a concept ingrained in society. Hygge is our culture.
In Danish, we use the adjective of hygge, hyggelig, countless times a day in a myriad of situations and conversations, and the sentimental semantics of the word can equal emotional as well as trivial sensations. Experiencing hygge is about feeling safe and comfortably shielded from the outside world. It allows us to let down our guards and staged faces we put on with our clothes in the morning. It is a state of ease where no need to impress or perform is present. It is how we transform a house into a home, a space into a spot, a talk into a conversation, a book into a world.
If hygge were a colour, it would be the golden yellow of a sparkling candle. If hygge were a smell, it would be the warm scent of a fireplace, the fresh essence of greenery, the fragrance of another person’s hug. If hygge were a taste, it would be the rich flavour of home-baked delights. If hygge were a sound, it would be the soft sum of voices. If hygge were an image, it would be a lit home under a dark, starry night.
However, hygge has no solid shape; there are no rules for how hygge makes its appearance, and you can feel it in endless ways, situations, and places.
Ultimately, hygge is a cornerstone of our society, a sensation we seek and treasure at all times, a word we are proud of.
Hygge is how we shape a community.
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