Feel Good with a Hygge Winter
‘Tis the season for getting warm and cozy with a hygge winter. The concept of hygge has been making its way through modern culture over the last several years and was officially added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2017. The Danish word, however, which is a really more of an intangible concept or an idea, has a much longer and richer history. The word hygge dates back to around 1800 and definitions of hygge can be traced back to the Middle Ages, where a similar Old Norse word meant “protected from the outside world.”
Think of it as the opposite of the winter blues. Feel good with a hygge winter by embracing the frigidness of winter to bring warmth and coziness inside through relationships, atmosphere, activities, and food. The result? A winter spent feeling safe, secure, and snug.
What is hygge?
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, hygge has the following definition:
Quality of cosiness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being from cosiness, comfort, social harmony; contentment from simple pleasures, such as warmth, food, friends, etc.
Pronounced pronounced hooga (sounding like who-gah), even Denmark’s official website calls hygge elusive and hard to describe. It is something you in fact have to feel, likening it to a “warm atmosphere.” They state:
In brief, hygge is about taking time away from the daily rush to be together with people you care about – or even by yourself – to relax and enjoy life’s quieter pleasures. Hygge is often about informal time together with family or close friends. Typically, the setting is at home or another quiet location, or perhaps a picnic during the summer months. It usually involves sharing a meal and wine or beer, or hot chocolate and a bowl of candy if children are included. There is no agenda. You celebrate the small joys of life, or maybe discuss deeper topics. It is an opportunity to unwind and take things slow. – Denmark People & Culture
Our favorite Feel Good ways to add hygge to your life
At Feel Good Shop Local, we weave the concept of hygge into the heart of what we do. We believe that investing in local businesses, filling your home with artisan made goods, gifting special items that truly speak to the recipient, are all ways to add that warmth and coziness to the everyday experience of life. Here are a few of our favorite ways to turn the sometimes mundane moments into something beautiful with a dose of hygge.
- Add a candle to your space, and light it when you spend time in that room. Let the beautiful smell and the flicker of candlelight add warmth to your routine, even if you’re just settling in to pay bills.
- Drape a cozy alpaca throw over your favorite spot on the couch or the end of your bed. Snuggle into it to wrap yourself up in a hug-like feeling. When you’re ready for bed, top if off with a deep sleep eye mask to help you enter a deep, restful sleep.
- Create your own coffee house moments with a beautiful coffee mug that will make you smile every time you see it. Add a handmade cream pitcher or set up your own coffee bar to make it feel even more special.
- Swap out an hour of scrolling and invest in yourself with a guided journal. Light that candle, find a favorite pen that feels good to hold, snuggle up in your throw, and spend timing getting cozy with your own self.
- For your next shower or bath and indulge in products that feel and smell delicious. Start with a beautiful, handcrafted soap or scrub, and layer on a body butter and body oil. Step out of the shower, wrap yourself in a robe and slide into your favorite pair of slippers.
- Unpack the good linens, dusts off the fancy wine glasses, break out the handcrafted cutting board, splurge on your favorite fancy cheese, ask people to bring their favorite dish, and spend time relishing in the love and light of your favorite people sharing a meal together.
Shop our favorites:
Candles | Blankets & Throws | Drinkware | Books, Bookmarks & Journals | Body and Skin Care | Soaps | Food and Drinks | Kitchen Goods
Additional resources:
Web Articles:
The New Yorker: The Year of Hygge, the Danish Obsession with Getting Cozy
Visit Denmark: What do we mean by hygge?
Books (because there’s something so hygge about curling up with a physical book!):
The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living, by Meik Wiking, via bookshop.org
My Hygge Home: How to Make Home Your Happy Place, by Meik Wiking, via bookshop.org
