The Little Book of Hygge

by Meik Wiking

  11. A NICE BLANKET

  12. PAPER AND A PEN

  It was nice and hyggeligt to read those old letters, wasn’t it? Why not return the favor? Take the time to write a handwritten letter. Think of someone who you are grateful to have in your life and write to them to tell them why.

  13. MUSIC

  Vinyl would be considered more hyggelig than digital, but services like iTunes and Spotify allow you to create a hygge playlist that’s up and running. I would go for something slow. Lately, I’ve been listening a lot to Gregory Alan Isakov and Charles Bradley, but you may want to go with the Danish artist Agnes Obel.

  14. A PHOTO ALBUM

  You know all those photos you uploaded on Facebook? Why not select a hundred of your favorite pictures and have them printed? An album of printed photos is much more hyggelig to browse through on a stormy night with a mug of tea.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  HYGGE OUTSIDE THE HOME

  THE HYGGE DRIVERS

  As a scientist, my work often involves looking for patterns in the evidence. So, if we look at cases of hyggelige, we also find some common denominators for these moments of hygge. (I think we have already covered food and candles extensively enough, so we will leave these out for now.)

  COMPANY

  You can hygge by yourself. Snuggling up under a blanket with your favorite TV show on a rainy Sunday afternoon is hyggeligt; having a glass of red wine watching a thunderstorm is hyggeligt too, or simply just sitting by the window watching the world go by.

  But the most hyggelige moments seem to happen in the company of other people. A few years ago, my dad and his two brothers turned two hundred years combined, so they rented a big summer cabin on the west coast of Denmark and invited the whole family. The cabin was surrounded by sand dunes and was set in a rough, rugged landscape where the wind always blows harshly. We spent a weekend there doing nothing but eating, drinking, talking, and walking on the beach. I think that was the most hyggelig weekend I spent all year.

  CASUALNESS

  Most hyggelige moments seem to be built on a foundation of casualness. In order for you and your guests to be able to hygge, you need to feel relaxed. There is no need to make things formal. Come as you are and be as you are.

  When I was in my twenties, I took part in the harvest of grapes one autumn in Champagne. A couple of years ago, I was visiting the region with three friends and we decided to stop by the Marquette vineyard where I had worked. We met Glennie, the lady of the house, and her son, who was by now a fully grown man, and spent a hyggelig afternoon at the vineyard and in the rustic country kitchen, with its low ceiling and flagstones, drinking wine at one of the long tables. The mood of the evening was relaxed and casual; despite the fact that I hadn’t seen Glennie and her son for a number of years, there was no need for any formality.

  CLOSENESS TO NATURE

  Whether you are sitting by a river in Sweden or in a vineyard in France, or just in your garden or nearby park, being surrounded by nature enables you to bring your guard down and adds a certain simplicity.

  When we are close to nature, we are not engulfed in entertaining electronics or juggling a broad spectrum of options. There are no luxuries or extravagance, just good company and good conversation. Simple, slow, rustic elements are a fast track to hygge.

  One summer I went camping with a group of friends along the Nissan River in Sweden. We were roasting chickens over the fire, and they were slowly turning nice and golden. In the fire, you could hear the sizzling of the baking potatoes wrapped in foil. We had paddled a fair distance in the canoes that day, and now darkness was falling. The fire lit up the trees surrounding our camp with warm colors, but despite the light from the fire, you could still see the stars through the treetops. As we waited for the golden chickens to be ready, we drank whiskey out of coffee mugs. We were silent, tired, and happy, and it was pure hygge.

  BEING IN THE PRESENT MOMENT

  There is an element of being present in those moments. Hygge is charged with a strong orientation and commitment toward experiencing and savoring the present moment.

  On that camping trip, there was nowhere else we needed to be. We were off-line. No phone. No e-mail. We were surrounded by nature and good company, and were able to fully relax and take in the moment.

  Every summer I go sailing with one of my best friends and his dad. There are few things I enjoy more than standing at the helm under full white sails and a blue sky, listening to the music blasting from below deck. The most hyggelige moments on these trips are when we are docked at the various harbors we visit. After every dinner we sit together and watch the sun set from the deck, while we listen to the wind in the rigging of the ships in the harbor and sip our post-dinner Irish coffee. That is hygge.

  Creating hygge moments may be best achieved by using some of the elements mentioned above. Sometimes you may be able to get all the ingredients in the pot. For me, that happens in summer cabins. In many ways, life in a cabin offers all of the above, and all my favorite childhood memories gravitate toward a small summer cabin my family owned just six miles outside the city, where we would live from May to September. At that time of year, when even the night knows no darkness, my brother and I would enjoy endless days of summer. We would climb trees, catch fish, play football, ride bicycles, explore tunnels, sleep in tree houses, hide under boats on the beach, build dams and forts, play with bows and arrows, and search the forest for berries and hidden Nazi gold.

  The cabin was a third of the size of our house in the city, the furniture was old, and the TV was black and white and had a fourteen-inch screen and a moody antenna. But this was the place where we had the most hygge. In many ways, these were the happiest times, and the most hyggelige. I think it may be because, in many ways, cabins include all the drivers of hygge: the smells, the sounds, and the simplicity. When you stay in one, there is a closer connection to nature and to each other. A cabin forces you to live more simply and slowly. To get out. To get together. To enjoy the moment.

  HYGGE DURING OFFICE HOURS

  However, hygge is not restricted to cozy cabins, Irish coffees on the deck, or snuggling up in your hyggekrog at home in front of the fire. Danes believe that hygge can—and should—happen at the office.

  Exhibit A in this theory is, of course, the cake discussed in chapter 4. In addition, according to a survey on hygge conducted by the Happiness Research Institute, there is the evidence that 78 percent of Danes say that work should be hyggeligt, too.

  So, how do you make office hours more hyggeligt? Well, cakes and candles, obviously. But this is just the start. Think of ways to make things more casual, cozy, and egalitarian. Here are five ideas to get the hygge going at the office.

  1. ORGANIZE A POTLUCK FRIDAY.

  Instead of bringing lunch just for yourself, why not organize potlucks for lunch one day of the week? When everybody shares, everybody gets hygge.

  2. SET UP AN OFFICE GARDEN.

  If the office or the surroundings allow it, you can add to the hygge by planting a few plants. Spending a few minutes each day tending to them may be a nice way to manage stress. Extra hygge points if you grow produce that can be enjoyed at lunch.

  3. BRING YOUR DOG TO WORK.

  A few years ago, Michael, one of my interns had to take care of his mother’s dog, Leica, for a few weeks and asked whether he could bring her to the office. Best weeks ever. Having Leica at the office definitely increased the hygge and office joy. I made a deal with myself that after accomplishing an item on my to-do list, I could go and pet Leica. My productivity went through the roof.

  4. TRY TO MAKE THE OFFICE MORE HOMEY.

  Could we put in a couple of couches for people to use when they have long reports to read or need to hold a quick and informal meeting? I do a lot of interviews because of my work and I prefer sitting on the couch with the journalist and having a good conversation with them, instead of the two of us facing each other across a fancy table in a sterile office setting.

&nb
sp; 5. HYGGE CUBICLE LIFE.

  Maybe you can’t change the office, but what about your desk? Could you add some plants, have some hygge socks in the drawer for working in the late evenings? Or go all the way, think of your cubicle as the Batcave of hygge and be the secret hygge hero at the office. The one that leaves a nice piece of chocolate at your colleagues’ desks while they are at lunch.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  HYGGE ALL YEAR ROUND

  NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS

  In Denmark, a popular saying goes “There is no bad weather, only bad clothing.” But, frankly, there are not a lot of great things to say about the weather in Denmark.

  Some describe the Danish weather as dark, windy, and damp; some say Denmark has two winters, one gray and one green.

  With this kind of weather, it will come as no surprise that Danes spend most of their time indoors in the winter months.

  In summertime, most Danes spend as much time as possible outside, desperately hoping to enjoy some sun, but in the months from November to March, the weather forces Danes to stay indoors. As Danes do not have the opportunity to enjoy winter activities in their own country, as in Sweden and Norway, or to spend time outdoors in the winter period, as in southern Europe, all Danes have left to do is hygge at home. As a result, the high season for hygge is autumn and winter, according to a study on hygge conducted by the Happiness Research Institute.

  Here is a selection of ideas for how to hygge throughout the year.

  JANUARY: MOVIE NIGHT

  The month of January is the perfect time to relax with friends and family with a casual movie night. Let each person bring snacks to share, and pick out one of the old classics, one that you’ve all seen, so it doesn’t matter too much if people chat a bit during the film.

  An entertaining add-on to movie night is to come up with the shortest way of explaining the plot of the given movie. This turns The Lord of the Rings trilogy into “Group spends nine hours returning jewelry” and Forrest Gump into “Drug-addicted girl takes advantage of mentally challenged boy for decades.”

  FEBRUARY: SKI TRIP

  If you have the opportunity, organize your friends and family to head to the mountains at this time of the year. Yes, the view in the mountains is stunning, the speed on the slopes is exhilarating, and the purity of the air is amazing—but the best part of the ski trip is the hygge. The magic happens when you and your crew get back to your cabin, tired from the slopes, dirty, and messy-haired, and relax with coffee in shared silence. Remember to pack the Grand Marnier!

  MARCH: THEME MONTH

  If you and your family are going somewhere on vacation in the summer this might be a way to get a jump on the hygge. If you are going to Spain, spend March exploring the country from afar. By “exploring,” I mean watch Spanish movies, make tapas, and if you have kids, maybe spend one evening putting Post-its on the chairs (sillas), table (mesa), plates (platos) in Spanish, so you can get a head start with the language. If you are not going on vacation this year, you can either take the theme from a country you have been to previously (get those photo albums out) or pick your dream destination. If you can’t go to the country, bring the country home to you.

  APRIL: HIKING AND COOKING OVER AN OPEN FIRE

  April can be a wonderful month to go hiking, camping, or canoeing. Weather-wise, it may be a bit brisk, so remember to pack those woolen socks (they are extra hyggelige), but the month offers benefits in terms of fewer mosquitoes. If you are a city dweller like me, it is natural to panic in the first hours of a hike, thinking, “What the hell will we do out here without Wi-Fi?” However, once you overcome this, your heart rate and stress levels will drop. Hiking is an Easter egg of hygge, as it includes slowness, rusticity, and togetherness. Gather the wood, build the fire, prepare the food, and watch it cook slowly over the fire, then enjoy the after-dinner whiskey with your friends under the stars.

  Remember to pack the chocolate eggs for the kids if you are heading out for Easter.

  MAY: WEEKEND CABIN

  The days are getting longer, and May is the time to start making use of the countryside. One of your friends might have access to a cabin, or you may find a cheap rental—the more rustic the cabin, the more hygge. A fireplace is a bonus. Be sure to pack board games for rainy afternoons. A weekend in May might also present the first opportunity of the year for a barbecue. In terms of summer hygge, nothing beats standing around the grill with a beer in your hand.

  JUNE: ELDERFLOWER CORDIAL AND THE SUMMER SOLSTICE

  Early June is the perfect time to harvest elderflowers to make cordial or lemonade.

  St John’s Eve falls on June 23, and on that evening Danes celebrate the summer solstice. This is my favorite tradition. In Denmark, the sun in June sets close to 11 p.m. on a night that never lets go of the light completely. As the sun sets, there is a bittersweet acknowledgment that, from tomorrow, we will start the slow descent into darkness as the days shorten. This is the perfect evening for a picnic. Grab your friends and family and light a bonfire. (They are usually lit relatively late because of the light, so if you need to entertain the kids during the wait, this is a great evening for an egg-and-spoon race.)

  ELDERFLOWER CORDIAL

  Whether you drink it cold on a hot summer day or warm during winter, this elderflower cordial will have the smell of summer. And not only when you drink it: to make the cordial you have to leave the flowers and the lemons in a pan for twenty-four hours, so your whole house will smell of summer hygge. Just one whiff immediately transports me back to my childhood summers.

  For 10½ cups of elderflower lemonade, serves 10–12

  30 elderflower clusters

  3 large lemons

  6 cups water

  8 cups sugar

  1. Wash elderflower clusters well and place them in a large bowl.

  2. Scrub the lemons under hot water, slice them, and add them to the clusters in the bowl.

  3. Bring the water to a boil and add the sugar.

  4. Pour the hot water into the bowl containing the elderflower clusters and lemon slices.

  5. Cover the bowl with a lid and let the lemonade rest for three days.

  6. Strain the liquid and pour it into bottles. Store in the fridge.

  JULY: SUMMER PICNIC

  July is when Danes really love to get out and enjoy nature. The weather is warm and the evenings are still long. This is the perfect time of year for a picnic by the sea, in a meadow, or in a park. The choice is yours, but get out of town. Invite your family, friends, neighbors, or the people who just moved in down the street. Make it a potluck event, so everybody brings a dish or two to share. Potluck dinners are usually more hyggelig, because they are more egalitarian. They are about sharing food and sharing the responsibility and chores.

  AUGUST: THE PERSEID METEOR SHOWER

  Bring blankets for a night under the stars. While the light nights at this time of year may not be the best in which to watch stars, the Perseid meteor shower occurs in mid-August, usually reaching peak activity around the eleventh to the thirteenth. Look northeast for the Perseus constellation, which has Andromeda to the east and Cassiopeia to the north. If you have kids, this is a great time to bring a book of stories from Greek mythology to read while you wait for the shooting stars.

  For people in the southern hemisphere, the Eta Aquarid meteor shower is an option. It usually peaks between late April and mid-May.

  SEPTEMBER: MUSHROOM FORAGING

  Mushrooms appear mainly in the autumn but can be found from late summer on. There is no better taste than food you have grown, caught, or foraged yourself—and it has a high hygge factor. Bring family and friends for a forage excursion to the forest.

  WARNING: Eating the wrong sort of mushrooms can be deadly, so find an experienced mushroom forager and ask them to come along on a forage. Many communities organize group tours.

  OCTOBER: CHESTNUTS

  It is chestnut season. If you have kids, take them chestnut hunting and use the chestnuts to make
animal figurines.

  For the adults, buy edible chestnuts, make a cross with a knife in the pointy end, and roast them in the oven at 200 degrees for about thirty minutes, until the skins open and the insides are tender. Peel off the tough outside skin and add a bit of butter and salt.

  If you just want quality hygge time by yourself, pick up some mandarins, roasted chestnuts, and a copy of A Moveable Feast by Hemingway. It is set in 1920s Paris, when Hemingway was working as a penniless writer.

  NOVEMBER: SOUP COOK-OFF

  Winter is coming. It is time to get out the old soup recipes and find new ones. Invite family and friends over for a soup cook-off. Each person brings ingredients for a soup to feed one person. Take turns preparing small dishes of different soups, enough for everyone to try. I usually make a pumpkin-ginger soup, which works really well with a bit of crème fraîche. If you want to do something extra as host, bake some homemade bread. The smell of freshly baked bread is definitely hygge.

  DECEMBER: GLØGG AND ÆBLESKIVER (PANCAKE PUFFS)

  This is hygge high season. The consumption of candles and confectionery soars, as do BMIs. This is also prime time for gløgg (you’ll find the recipe in Chapter 4). Start out well in advance by soaking those raisins in port and invite your friends and family over for an afternoon or evening of gløgg and æbleskiver (recipe in Chapter 11).