Hygge.

I am one of the lucky ones. For my family, the holidays are plentiful. There is beautiful food, laughter, chatter, love, and overall connection to satiate the soul and belly alike. It’s also my favourite time of year to indulge, and boy, do I indulge! I’m always stunned by how much cheese I’m able to consume by simply saying to myself, “A bit of cheese would go lovely with that,” and then applying this logic to, well, pretty much everything.

The downfall is, of course, that the holidays are often a time of mindless consumption, over-indulgence, and over-stimulation that can leave one feeling sluggish and exhausted, just as the dark and seemingly endless days of “the rest of winter” settle upon us like a soggy fruitcake.

The Danes have a great tool for getting through the winter doldrums, one you’ve probably heard of by now. Hygge (Hue-guh) is a state of mind, a practice, the cultivation of an overall sense of security, coziness, charm, and comfort through intentional daily habits such as lighting candles or buying fresh flowers. Like some form of ground meat encased in dough, every cold country has its own version of it.

Across Northern Europe it reads like the home storage section of an Ikea catalogue. But whether it’s Hygge or Pyt (Pid), or the Swedish cousins, Lagom and Mys, the idea is similar in essence.

It’s not really about home décor, but yet applies very much to the idea that how we fill and arrange our home should, if mindfully curated, effectively envelop us in this feeling like a giant hug.

About a week into January, as we lovingly wrap up the ornaments and vacuum up the last of the needles, I always notice how bare and quiet the house suddenly seems. And it’s beautiful. The warm morning light streams through the window across the empty space where the tree stood centre stage for a good part of the last month, and I’m reminded that the long dark days of winter ahead are a time to return to moderation, to slow down, breathe, let the light in, and lighten the load.

Woolly blankets, candles (lots of candles!), and stacks of new books take over sunlit corners for everyone to enjoy much-needed alone time. On sunny days, open the windows and let the cold air in to refresh and invigorate. We gather with friends around slow simple stews and one-pan meals. We snuggle by the fireplace and talk, or simply watch the flames. I also find myself embracing warm winter whites and softer hues as a visual pallet cleanser to the jewel-toned sparkle of holiday décor.

In other words, it’s all about simplifying, paring down. Of course we will continue the love, laughter, chatter, beautiful food, and connection, but in a different, more intentional and mindful way. We’ll make it Hyggelig.

Cheers, Anya