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Saturday
Sep132008
Hygge time
The kids in Tivoli Garden, Copenhagen, 2004
Basically, we're Danish wannabees.
This time of year makes me feel particularly hygglig. I was on the way home from school today and had a sudden rush of it. Oh, yeah...it's autumn all right. I don't need to wait for the autumnal equinox to tell me it's time to cozy up and get comfortable--I had to come right home and get hygglig. For me, that meant making taco soup, baking chocolate chip cookies*, lighting some candles, and putting on some good cozy music. The Danes are seriously on to something.
The Danes have a word--hygge (HOO-ga + also the adjective hygglig HOOG-lee)--to capture that whole concept of a warm, cozy time with friends and family and the feelings you get being together. It seems to guide their decorating, their priorities, and, really, their approach to life. I love it...I like to think there's a bit of natural hygge in my blood. I think it's what I mean by Basic Joy: the calm, cozy, relaxed, simple, homey comfort of finding the goodness in moments. (And now I'm humming the celebrate the moments of your life coffee jingle.)
What makes you feel hygglig? How do you create it?
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Link love:
~ Hygge House blog by Danish expat wonder girl Alex Beauchamp
~ *the BEST chocolate cookie recipe. Just try it. They're divine...the best tasting cc cookie (and dough) with a great chewy texture inside and nice thin shell of shiny crispiness. I didn't believe it either but decided to try it--via Annie's eats, no relation :).
~ Camilla at home is an inspiring scandinavian home decor blog. I love to see the images she chooses. Very hygge. She gives little English translations for her posts and she's got lots of links to other great scandinavian blogs.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Reader Comments (15)
We went to the Tivoli Garden when I was a senior in high school - it was such a beautiful trip - the flowers were/are gorgeous. I don't think I am but after reading this post I wish I too were Danish.
Thanks for the chocolate chip cookie recipe. When/if our stuff ever arrives we're make those immediately, or almost anyway.
Thanks for the hugge word. Bliss, comfort, contentment....We loved Tivoli too, many years ago. And the Danish breakfasts, Sundborn - Karl Larsson's home.
Ah, but Autumn....
Putting on some good music, putting my robe on, reading, anticipating having an evening free to putter, read, make tea or Cadbury hot chocolate, thinking about having a fire in the fireplace, hot fudge sauce, no demands to BE someplace else, dinner with good friends, making soup, baking, getting a new book in the mail......
What a great picture of your kids. Maybe we're related. We are Danish and Norweigian.
I'm a pretty important Danish, too, as my ggg grandma was some princess.
My grandma would know her name.
Just name dropping a little. That makes me feel hygge.
Maybe we're related! I'm a Dane, too and named my daughter after my great grandma Kirsten Marie Jensen who came from Denmark. My dad used to wear blue (a weird baby blue) pants on St. Patrick's Day to protest the holiday and celebrate his identity.
I married a man who is half FInnish and we've been back there together and we're planning a trip so thanks for the links to the Scandanavian sites.
Our home is very Scandinavian and we just finished hauling wood for our Finnish soapstone wood stove -- which makes me feel like what you are describing.
Happy Hygge Annie! It's great you were able to visit your motherland. I think I must be danish too! I am very hyggefied!! For me hygglig is my family and my home. It's that feeling you get when you have been on holiday but are happy to return to the familiarity your own home and your own bed. I will have to try that cookie recipe.
Lindsay
Vi elsker hygge tid.
And if you know what that means, let me know. Husband sends his regards pa Dansk.
Loved this post.
Autumn is the (my) epitome of hygge; just a little crispness to the air, sweater weather, breaking out the yummy spicy candles, baking, spending time with family...love it all.
PS-could those kids really be any cuter?!
Cutest post.
Could you PLEASE post or email me the abelskiver recipe? (aweenig@mac.com)
My husband's mom used to make them and she has passed away so I can't get the recipe from her obviously.
Wow. You are married to a celeb. Aebleskivers are our after church Sunday dinner tradition here. As of about 6 months ago. Love 'em.
WE WERE ALMOST RELATED!
my mom is from st. lucia. her whole family comes from there. actually, they are sort of like the mafia of that island, but that's another post for another time.
i thought your st. lucia was the same as my st. lucia, and that we were going to be SISTERS.
darn it.
first, oh i love your posts. thanks for being a great moment in my day! that is part of my hyyge. also good music, good books, pumpkin candles for fall, pumpkin cookies, herbal tea...quiet early mornings, and sweaters and blankets...I love the fall. I love that you are danish! I'm dutch and while serving my mission in Belgium, everyone there always told me I looked dutch--i took it as such a compliment. And, (boy this is getting long) but several people told me while I was there that the most beautiful people on the earth are Danish. That's you! and now I can say I know some Danes!
That word "hygge" reminds me of the word "hug".
Thanks for teaching me a Danish word.
I love this season too and really get the hygge feeling.
Taco soup sounds so good right now!
Sorry to keep doing same-same on you but my mother in law grew up in just outside of Copenhagen; her family is still there. Sadly, she hasn't carried on any Danish traditions or embraced that heritage. It's sad to me.
So thanks for teaching me some Danish culture to pass on to my kids. I'm feeling all hygglig now-- the blog world is beautiful.
p.s. and get set cause I'll be asking you to guest post on Segullah!