All I want for Christmas is Hygge?
What is HYGGE (hue-guh)?
As you may have heard, there is a Scandinavian word, hygge, sweeping our nation that encompasses the feeling of coziness and comfortability accompanied by feelings of wellness and contentment. Doesn’t that just warm you up inside?! It comes from the Danish and Norwegian background and is the word you’ve been searching for your whole life!
On HyggeHouse.com, she explains it as acknowledging a feeling or moment, no matter where you are, whether alone or with friends, ordinary or extraordinary as cozy, charming or special. Like when you pour that first cup of coffee on a Sunday morning and the kids are still sleeping, or even better, when you wake up and realize its 9:00 am on the weekend and then you realize the kids are still sleeping.
Some great examples of hygge include:
- curling up on the sofa or your favorite chair with a cozy blanket and a movie you’ve been waiting to see
- welcoming your family or friends over for a dinner party when there’s so much to catch up on
- the smell of your favorite soup coming from the kitchen that brings in memories of those cold winter nights being tucked in the house
- having your dog or cat greet you when you get home no matter how much time has passed
- or, maybe it’s finally finishing up your Christmas shopping and present wrapping (for real this time).
This will be your new favorite description for living your best life in the exact moment you realize it. One of my favorite hygge feelings is settling in after getting seated on the plane and waiting for takeoff at the beginning of vacation. To me that feeling means that a good time is about to happen, so I feel very comfortable (even if the plane seat isn’t), content and ready to enjoy my life for the new few days! But let’s be real, I also LOVE sleeping in.
They say that you can’t learn hygge, or how to be hyggeligt. It is not something you can buy or eat or adopt as a lifestyle. It is, at its basic thought, a feeling that is created naturally for any one person but being able to consciously recognize the feeling of how good it makes you feel in that moment. Alex Beauchamp created HyggeHouse.com because she wanted to connect back to her Danish roots and she explains that the Danes created hygge because they were trying to survive boredom, cold, dark and sameness. The undefinable feeling of hygge was a way for them to find moments to celebrate or acknowledge and to break up the day, months, or years.
With many of the bitter cold, dark days we experience here in the Midwest, the simple act of lighting your favorite scented candle accompanied by a fresh cup of hot tea in your favorite mug while you sit in your favorite spot reading a new book, is what hygge is all about.
If you feel that your home is lacking the “hygge-ness”, we’re here to help with our new line of the comfiest and coziest throws that are made on the East Coast at a company which still powers their building by water mill! We also have a line of beautiful pillows that are made with much care at a mom and pop shop on the West Coast. Need something to warm your feet? We also have a new line of rugs with thick wool or plush shag options in a variety of colors and styles. In the photo below, you can see one of our new cable knit throws in Navy and a faux fur pillow paired together with a good book and a cup of tea; creating perfect hygge.
Written by Stefanie from the Che Bella team
