Wondering what in the hell hygge is?  Unless you are Danish, Norwegian or you have recently read a few of the same articles I have, that’s probably what you’re thinking.  Hygge – pronounced HYU-gah – is almost impossible to translate into English.  The best word to describe it is coziness.

Northern European countries face the same harsh winters that we do in the Northeast and Minnesota. Instead of letting the cold, dark days get them down, they use it to get together with their friends, family and really connect.  Danes are one of the happiest populations in the world, so it’s worth trying.

Imagine a living room with a blazing fire, board games and no cell phones.  Imagine happy hour around a bonfire and strangers clinking glasses.  Imagine a night with candles, wool blankets and real conversations.  Imagine sharing a 12 pack of Sam Adams Winter Lager with your neighbors while making snowmen and dreaming of ski vacations.

To me, it’s a very romantic idea and something that we have been looking forward to this winter.  As much of the Northeast is blanketed in snow, today is a great day to share this idea with all of you. Because I am not an expert on this phenomenon yet, I’ll share some of the articles I’ve read floating around the internet.

From Mother Nature Network – How Hygge can help you get through winter

From NPR – Winter Doldrums got you down? Have some Hygge

From Fathom Away – What the Hell is “Hygge”?

From MinnPost – Our Hygge Moment: How a Danish cultural concept can help cut through a dark Minnesota winter

From PineTribe – What is Hygge? Explaining the Unexplainable

Let me know what you think.  Is it something you could embrace for a little extra happiness this winter?  Hopefully all of our friends in Boston are safe at home this morning.  Our travel bans were lifted moments ago, so it looks like we can resume normal life this morning.  No winter wonderland for me this morning, but a hot cup of coffee, long underwear and a busy day of work ahead of me.

Original photo from Unsplash