Easy like Sunday Morning. Let's Hygge!
Have you seen/heard the word HYGGE lately? it’s seems like it’s everywhere. It’s a Danish term defined as “a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being.” There is no direct English word that means the same thing - because it’s more of an entire concept than a single word. Pronounced “hoo-guh,” it derives from a sixteenth-century Norwegian term, hugga, meaning “to comfort” or “to console,” also related to the English word “hug.”
In both Danish and Norwegian, hygge refers to "a form of everyday togetherness," "a pleasant and highly valued everyday experience of safety, equality, personal wholeness and a spontaneous social connection and relationship. For them, it usually looks like a mid-day break with a friend over coffee and cinnamon buns. But it can be a rainy afternoon in front of the fire with the whole fam sitting around, reading books (or phones) and just hanging out together. It can be movie or game night, lunch with a friend, and Sunday brunch obviously - all kinds of activities we always used to do together before our lives got so complicated and quarantined. It combines relaxation, gratitude, comfort and spending time with other people. In our stressed out, hustle culture lives, this is something we all long for more of. So it’s no wonder we’re captivated by this idea and trying to create as much hygge in our lives as possible.
Living in a commercial and marketing culture, of course we are bombarded with “things to buy” that will give us this feeling instead. That’s going about it all the wrong way. And though I mentioned it in my own fall marketing stuff, I sincerely would love just to share the idea of what it is, hoping to inspire people to embrace the true notion of it.
Yes, you can feather your little cozy nests with pretty, and comforting things that will help you snuggle into your sanctuary. Scents can be an important way to stir memories and persuade emotions. And if any of my soap scents sway you into a state of hygge, that would be wonderful. But however you can create a little space in your lives for peace, rest, comfort, and sharing moments with your people - the world needs a whole lot more of that. Like every day was Sunday morning :)