The transition to fall brings a natural draw to warmth and coziness. There are few things better than the comfort and security of your own warm and cozy fall home in the new normal of grey, blustery and chilly days, which are often accompanied by a similar mindset. To stay ahead of the dreariness, I’m learning how to “get hygge with it” in my home this season. (Please don’t cringe, my Scandi friends! I’ll try to explain it in a way non-Scandinavians will understand it! Hear me out…)
What is Hygge?
There are a few things I’m just coming to understand about hygge (pronounced “hue’-guh”, not the commonly misspoken “hoo-gah”). First, it’s really not a thing. Or a decorating style. Or a lifestyle. Rather, it’s more of a mood, or even an awareness. It’s the recognition and celebration of ordinary moments turned extraordinary, simply by our acknowledgment of them.
I’ve learned a bit about it by following Alex, founder and creator of hyggehouse.com, on her worldly but grounded adventures. In her words:
“Hygge…is a Danish word used to acknowledge a special feeling or moment. It can be alone or with friends, ordinary or extraordinary but is always cosy, charming or special.” (Learn all about it here).
What Hygge is Not
Mashable.com writer Laura Byager has this to say about hygge:
“For me, hygge is comfort. It exists only in the complete absence of stress and nuisance and feeds off feelings of happiness and relaxation. It’s not an aesthetic or a trend. Hygge, like love though far less elusive, cannot be bought.”
Touché. Money can’t buy me hygge.
While no English word perfectly sums it up, Alex offers the following terms to help us grasp the concept: happiness, security, familiarity, comfort, reassurance, kinship, and simpleness. Ahhhh, yes. I can get on board with this.
Hygge-fying your Fall Home
While it may not seem to show a real understanding of hygge to use the word in this way, for the purposes of this post, I think it works okay. Besides, I mean no disrespect. Rather, I want to share ways to create an atmosphere in your home this fall that will raise your awareness, creation and celebration of these special moments and experience hygge as it is meant to be experienced.
Hygge, like love though far less elusive, cannot be bought.
laura byager, mashable.com
In my mind, there’s an easy way to “get hygge with it”, so to speak. We can both appeal and pay attention to each of the five senses.
1. Smell
Burn an apple or pumpkin scented candle. Bake some cookies. Cook something delicious in your crock pot. Dab on or spray your favorite essential oil. Throw some orange slices, cinnamon sticks, and rosemary twigs on the stove in a few inches of water and let it simmer. Stand back, close your eyes, and breathe it in. Instant comfort, yes? This is hygge.
2. Sight
Candlelight. Lots of candlelight. Get lost in the flicker. Need I say more? Probably not. But at the very least, turn down any harsh overhead lighting to make a softer atmosphere. Build a crackling fire. Or flip on your fireplace flame. You know, create the mood.
You could also find a beautifully shaped and colored leaf on the ground and pick it up and really NOTICE it. Put a colorful bouquet of fresh flowers front and center. Set a festive dinner table for your family just because. Let these ordinary daily occurrences be a feast for your eyes. Voilà! Hygge.
3. Taste
This one’s pretty easy. Relish in the first morsel of whatever deliciousness you cooked up in #1. The first bite is always the best bite! Notice how chocolate melts on your tongue. Read the description on your wine label and see if you can pick out the flavor elements in that vintage. Remember – this isn’t a study of any kind. It’s just a moment of niceness you’ve experienced. Hygge!
4. Touch (and feel(ings))
Wrap your hands around your steaming mug of coffee or tea, and appreciate the heat of it. That wonderful “aaaaaah” feel of fresh sheets when you first slip into bed? Yup. There you go. The warmth of sunshine on your face. And while it’s not actually “touch”, the actual happy feeling you get from spending quality time with your friends and loved ones is important to recognize. Hygge through and through.
5. Sound
The crunch of fallen leaves underfoot. The clink of glasses around the table. Your favorite music during your workout, or while you cook dinner. The laughter of your kids. These may all be ordinary sounds until you make them great by honoring them. No ceremony needed. Just notice how you feel when you hear them. Whatever is music to your ears, I believe that’s hygge.
In the End, Only Hygge Matters
All things considered, it’s important not to make the mistake of getting sucked into the rampant commercialization of Danish culture. Says Byager, “…as soon as hygge is being used to sell you stuff you don’t need, it loses its meaning.”
Ah, yes. It’s a feeling, not a thing.
So for now, for this fall season, let’s just unwind, de-stress, save our dollars that the mall would have us spend on specially scented “hygge candles” or cozy socks and blankets that are supposed to increase our hyggeness (note that this not even a word), and appreciate the true essence of hygge in real homegirl style: elevate and celebrate the everyday moments.
P.S. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my fuzzy socks and blankets, and they do create many contented moments for me. But they don’t necessarily belong in a definition/description of hygge.
Have you had hygge lately? Tell me all about it! What moments have you enjoyed or celebrated in your fall home? Or outside of it? Drop me a comment to let me know.
