and “ taking pleasure in the presence of gentle , soothing things ,” like a cup of tea and a weighted blanket , said Helen Russell , a British journalist who wrote The Year of Living Danishly .
The most well known printed work is The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking , which was released in the US in 2017 after being a big hit in England , where Oxford Dictionaries named hygge one of its top 10 new words for that year . Reviewers favorably compared the book to Marie Kondo ’ s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up . From Maine to Malta to Mauritius , hygge spurred a worldwide run on pillar candles and fuzzy blankets .
Wiking shared a typical story about hygge when he hung out in a woodsy cabin with friends on Christmas Day . After a long walk through the snow , everyone returned to the rustic hut , where they gathered around a roaring fireplace , wearing thick sweaters and woolen socks , enjoying mulled wine . At the same time , they watched the crackling fire and reminisced about Christmases past . One of Wiking ’ s friends , caught up in the moment , said , “ Could this be any more hygge ?” Everyone nodded in agreement until one woman said : “ Yes , if a storm were raging outside .”
This reminds me of a joke we have in Newport Beach about Christmas Day : “ Let ’ s turn on the air conditioning so we can light a fire .” Fortunately , hygge is not reserved for Old Man Winter and 10- foot- high piles of snow . Experience hygge wherever you are anytime of the year .
Be happier with hygge : 1 . Light several candles in the house . Eating dinner by candlelight adds a layer of warm personality and different luminescence to your dining table . Try to use a good mixture of nontoxic scented and unscented candles .
2 . Drink warm , indulgent beverages .
3 . Curl up on the couch with a good book and your shoes off . Put the electronic devices away .
4 . Take a walk in nature , away from crowds , through local mountains , along a lakeshore , or on the beach .
5 . Invite friends over for a nice dinner . Dinner parties were in rare supply during the pandemic . Get back in the habit of gathering with friends again . Share the cooking responsibilities and experience hygge !
NORWAY
Another Scandinavian country , Norway , has its own twist on hygge . The Norwegians have a national expression called friluftsliv ( pronounced “ free-loofts-liv ”), which means committing to celebrate time outdoors , no matter how bleak the weather forecast is . No huddling around a dazzling fire in jammies and slippers for the Norwegians , who believe that spending time outside , in the elements , can provide a powerful reset for their mental health . Where hygge is about finding comfort indoors , friluftsliv is about finding it outdoors .
Friluftsliv , coined in 1859 by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen ( his most famous work is A Doll ’ s House ), means “ free air life ” but is
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