CONTENTS

INTRODUCTIONTHEKEYTOHAPPINESS?LIGHTWENEEDTOTALKABOUTHYGGETOGETHERNESSFOODANDDRINKCLOTHINGHOMEHYGGEOUTSIDETHEHOMEHYGGEALLYEARROUNDHYGGEONTHECHEAPHYGGETOUROFCOPENHAGENCHRISTMASSUMMERHYGGEFIVEDIMENSIONSOFHYGGEHYGGEANDHAPPINESS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSABOUTTHEAUTHORCOPYRIGHTABOUTTHEPUBLISHER

INTRODUCTION

Hooga?Hhyooguh?Heurgh? It isnot importanthowyouchoose topronounce or even spell hygge. To paraphrase one of the greatestphilosophersofourtime—Winnie-the-Pooh—whenaskedhowtospellacertainemotion,“Youdon’tspellit,youfeelit.”

However, spelling and pronouncinghygge is the easy part.Explaining exactlywhatitis,that’sthetrickypart.Hyggehasbeencalledeverythingfrom“theartofcreatingintimacy,”“cozinessofthesoul,”and“theabsenceofannoyance,”to“takingpleasurefromthepresenceofsoothingthings,”“cozytogetherness,”andmypersonalfavorite,“cocoabycandlelight”.

Hyggeisaboutanatmosphereandanexperience,ratherthanaboutthings.Itisaboutbeingwiththepeoplewelove.Afeelingofhome.Afeelingthatweare

safe, thatweare shielded from theworldandallowourselves to letourguarddown.Youmaybehavinganendlessconversationaboutthesmallorbigthingsinlife—orjustbecomfortableineachother’ssilentcompany—orsimplyjustbebyyourselfenjoyingacupoftea.

OneDecember just beforeChristmas, Iwas spending theweekendwith somefriends at an old cabin. The shortest day of the year was brightened by theblanketofsnowcoveringthesurroundinglandscape.Whenthesunset,aroundfour in the afternoon,wewould not see it again for seventeen hours, andweheadedinsidetogetthefiregoing.

Wewerealltiredafterhikingandwerehalfasleep,sittinginasemicirclearoundthe fireplace in the cabin, wearing big sweaters and woolen socks. The onlysoundsyoucouldhearwerethestewboiling,thesparksfromthefireplace,andsomeonehavingasipofmulledwine.Thenoneofmyfriendsbrokethesilence.

“Couldthisbeanymorehygge?”heaskedrhetorically.

“Yes,” one of the women said after a moment. “If there was a storm ragingoutside.”

Weallnodded.

THEKEYTOHAPPINESS?

Ihavethebestjobintheworld.Istudywhatmakespeoplehappy.AttheHappinessResearchInstitute,whichisanindependentthinktankfocusingonwell-being,happiness,andqualityoflife,weexplorethecauses and effects of human happiness andwork toward improvingthequalityoflifeofcitizensacrosstheworld.

WearebasedinDenmark,andyes,wedohavelitcandlesattheofficeMondaytoFriday,andyes,ourofficewaspartlychosenbecauseofthehyggefactor.Nofireplace, though. Yet. But we were also founded and are based in Denmarkbecausethecountryconsistentlyranksamongthehappiestnationsintheworld.Denmarkisbynomeansaperfectutopia,andthecountryfaceschallengesandissues like any other country, but I do believe Denmark can be a source ofinspirationforhowcountriescanincreasethequalityoflifeoftheircitizens.

Denmark’spositionasoneof thehappiestcountries in theworldhascreatedalotofmediainterest.Onaweeklybasis,Iamaskedquestionslike“WhyaretheDanes so happy?” and “What canwe learn from theDaneswhen it comes tohappiness?” from journalists from The New York Times, the BBC, TheGuardian, the China Daily, and The Washington Post, among others. Inaddition,delegationsofmayors,researchers,andpolicymakersfromallcornersof the earth frequentlyvisit theHappinessResearch Institute inpursuit of . . .well . . .happiness—orat least inpursuitof the reasons for thehigh levelsofhappiness,well-being,andqualityoflifepeopleenjoyinDenmark.Tomany,itisquite themystery, asbesides thehorrificweather,Danes are also subject tosomeofthehighesttaxratesintheworld.

Interestingly,thereiswidesupportforthewelfarestate.Thesupportstemsfromanawarenessofthefactthatthewelfaremodelturnsourcollectivewealthintowell-being.We are not paying taxes,we are investing in our society.We arepurchasingqualityoflife.Thekeytounderstandingthehighlevelsofwell-being

inDenmarkisthewelfaremodel’sabilitytoreducerisk,uncertainty,andanxietyamongitscitizensandtopreventextremeunhappiness.

However,recently,Ihavealsocometorealizethattheremightbeanoverlookedingredient in the Danish recipe for happiness—hygge. The word hyggeoriginates from a Norwegian word meaning “well-being”. For almost fivehundred years, Denmark and Norway were one kingdom, until Denmark lostNorwayin1814.HyggeappearedinwrittenDanishforthefirsttimeintheearly1800s, and the link between hygge and well-being or happiness may be nocoincidence.

Danes are the happiest people in Europe according to the European SocialSurvey,but theyarealso theoneswhomeetmostoftenwith their friendsandfamilyandfeelthecalmestandmostpeaceful.Therefore,itiswithgoodreasonthat we see a growing interest in hygge. Journalists are touring Denmarksearching for hygge; in theUK, a college is now teachingDanish hygge; andaroundtheworld,hyggebakeries,shops,andcafésarepoppingup.Buthowdoyou create hygge? How are hygge and happiness linked? And what is hyggeexactly?Thosearesomeofthequestionsthisbookseekstoanswer.

CHAPTERONE

LIGHT

INSTANTHYGGE:CANDLES

No recipe for hygge is complete without candles. When Danes areasked what they most associate with hygge, an overwhelming 85percentwillmentioncandles.

Thewordfor“spoilsport” inDanishis lyseslukker,whichmeans“theonewhoputsoutthecandles”,andthisisnocoincidence.Thereisnofasterwaytogettohyggethantolightafewcandlesor,astheyarecalledinDanish,levendelys,orlivinglights.TheAmericanambassadortoDenmark,RufusGifford,saidoftheDanes’ loveaffairwithcandles:“Imean, it isnot just in the livingroom. It iseverywhere. In your classrooms, in your boardrooms. As an American, youthink, ‘Fire hazard!—how can you possibly have an open flame in yourclassroom?’Itiskindofanemotionalhappiness,anemotionalcoziness.”

TheAmericanambassadorisontosomething.AccordingtotheEuropeanCandleAssociation,Denmark burnsmore candles per head than anywhere inEurope.EachDaneburnsaroundthirteenpoundsofcandlewaxeachyear.Toputthisincontext, eachDane consumes around six and a half pounds of baconper year(yes,baconconsumptionpercapitaisastandardmetricinDenmark).ThecandleconsumptionisaEuropeanrecord.Infact,Denmarkburnsalmosttwiceasmuchcandlewaxastherunner-up,Austria,withalittleundersevenpoundsperyear.However,scentedcandlesarenotabigthing.Infact,Asp-Holmblad,Denmark’soldestproducerofcandles,doesn’tevenincludescentedcandlesintheirproductrange. Scented candles are considered artificial, and Danes prefer natural andorganicproducts.Infact,DanesranktowardsthetopofthelistinEuropewhenitcomestobuyingorganic.

More than half of Danes light candles almost every day during autumn andwinter,andonly4percentsaytheyneverlightcandles,accordingtoasurveybyone of the major newspapers in Denmark. During December, the candleconsumption soars to thrice asmany, and this is also the time to witness thespecial candle that is to be burned only in the days leading up to Christmas,namelythekalenderlys—theadventcandle.Thiscandleismarkedwithtwenty-four lines, one for eachday inDecemberbeforeChristmas, turning it into theslowestcountdownclockintheworld.

AnotherspecialcandleoccasionisMay4,alsoknownaslysfest,orlightparty.On this evening in 1945, theBBCbroadcast that theGerman forceswho hadoccupied Denmark since 1940 had surrendered. As in many countries duringWorldWarII,Denmarkwassubjecttoblackoutstopreventenemyaircraftfrom

navigatingbycitylights.Today,Danesstillcelebratethereturnof thelightonthiseveningbyputtingcandlesintheirwindows.

Hyggelige as theDanesmaybe, there is one serious drawback to being crazyabout candles: the soot.Studies show that lighting just one candle fills the airwithmoremicroparticlesthantrafficinabusystreet.

A study undertaken by the Danish Building Research Institute showed thatcandles shedmore particles indoors than either cigarettes or cooking. DespiteDenmarkbeingahighlyregulatedcountry,wehaveyettoseewarninglabelsoncandles. Nobody messes with the hygge fanatics. There is now a growingawareness amongDanes of the importance of airing out a room after burningcandles. Nevertheless, despite the health implications, Danes continue toconsumecandlesinobscenequantities.

LAMPS

Lightingisnotjustaboutcandles.Danesareobsessedbylightingingeneral. I once spent two hours walking around Rome with mygirlfriendatthetimetofindarestaurantthathadhyggeliglighting.

Danes select lamps carefully and place them strategically to create soothingpools of light. It is an art form, a science, and an industry. Someof themostbeautifully designed lamps in theworld come from the golden age ofDanishdesign—forexample,thelampsofPoulHenningsen,ArneJacobsen,andVernerPanton. Visit a student on a shoestring budget and youmay still encounter a$1,300VernerPantonlampinthecornerofherhundred-square-footflat.

Theruleofthumbis:thelowerthetemperatureofthelight,themorehygge.Acamera flash is around 5,500 Kelvin (K), fluorescent tubes are 5,000K,incandescentlamps3,000K,whilesunsetsandwoodandcandleflamesareabout1,800K.Thatisyourhyggesweetspot.

The closest you will ever come to seeing vampires burned by daylight is by

inviting a group of Danes for a hygge dinner and then placing them under a5,000K fluorescent light tube. At first theywill squint, trying to examine thetorture device you have placed in the ceiling.Then, as dinner begins, observehow theymove uncomfortably around in their chairs, compulsively scratchingandtryingtosuppresstwitches.

TheobsessionwithlightingcomesfromthelackofcontactwithitinthenaturalworldfromOctobertoMarch.Duringthistime,theonlyresourceDenmarkhasin abundance is darkness. Summers in Denmark are beautiful.When the firstrays of light reach the country,Danes awaken from their hibernation and fallover themselves to find spots in the sun. I love summer inDenmark. It ismyfavoritetimeoftheyear.Andifitwasn’tbadenoughthatwintersaredarkandcoldandsummersareshort,Denmarkalsohas179daysofrainperyear.GameofThronesfans,thinkofthecityofWinterfell.

Thatiswhyhyggehasbeenrefinedtothelevelithas,andwhyitisseenaspartofthenationalidentityandcultureinDenmark.Hyggeistheantidotetothecoldwinter,therainydays,andtheduvetofdarkness.Sowhileyoucanhavehyggeall year round, it is during winter that it becomes not only a necessity but asurvival strategy. That is why Danes have a reputation of being hyggefundamentalistsandtalkaboutit...alot.

My favorite spot in my apartment in Copenhagen is the windowsill in thekitchen-dining area. It is wide enough to sit comfortably in and I’ve addedpillows and blankets tomake it a realhyggekrog (see the hygge dictionary inChapter2).Theradiatorunderneaththewindowsillmakesittheperfectplacetoenjoyacupof teaonacoldwinternight.Butwhat I likeabout itmost is thewarm amber glow issuing from every apartment across the courtyard. It’s aconstantlychangingmosaicofradianceaspeopleleaveandreturnhome.Inpart,Iowe thisviewtoPoulHenningsen. Inevitably,awell-lit roominDenmark islikelytoholdalampbythearchitectanddesignerallDanesknowsimplyasPH.

Hewas to light fixtureswhat Edisonwas to the lightbulb. PHwas, likemostDanes today, obsessed with light. Some call him the world’s first lightingarchitect, ashedevotedhis career to exploring the importanceof light forourwell-being,aimingtodevelopalampthatcouldspreadlightwithoutsubjectingpeopletoadirectglare.

PoulHenningsenwasbornin1894anddidnotgrowupwithelectriclightbutinthe soft glow of petroleum lamps. These were his source of inspiration. Hisdesignsshapeandrefinethepoweroftheelectriclightyetmaintainthesoftnessofthelightofapetroleumlamp.

It doesn’t cost money to light a room correctly—but it doesrequire culture. From the age of eighteen, when I began toexperimentwith light, I have been searching for harmony inlighting.Humanbeingsarelikechildren.Assoonastheygetnew toys, they throw away their culture and the orgy starts.Theelectriclightgavethepossibilityofwallowinginlight.

When,intheevening,fromthetopofatramcar,youlookintoall the homes on the first floor, you shudder at how dismalpeople’s homes are. Furniture, style, carpets—everything inthe home is unimportant, compared to the positioning of thelighting.

PoulHenningsen(1894–1967),“OnLight”

THREEICONICDANISHLAMPS

THEPHLAMP

After a decade of experiments with lamps and lighting in his attic,HenningsenpresentedthefirstPHlampin1925.Itgaveasofterandmorediffused lightbyusinga seriesof layered shades todisperse the lightyetconcealthelightbulb.Inaddition,tobringtheharshwhitelighttowardtheredendofthespectrum,PHgavetheinnersideofoneelementoftheshadearedcolour.HisbiggestsuccesswasPH5,whichhasmetalshadesandwaslaunched in 1958, but PH lamps have now been produced in over athousanddifferentdesigns.Manyof thesearenot inproductionanymore,andtherarestlampscangoformorethan$25,000atauction.

LEKLINT

In1943,theKlintfamilystartedproducinglampshadeswithfoldingpleats,but in fact theyhadbeendesigned fourdecades earlierbyPederVilhelmJensen-Klint, a Danish architect, for his own use, as he had designed apetroleumlampandneededashade.Itbecameafamilybusiness,applyingtheskills indesign, innovation,andbusinessof thesonsanddaughtersofKlint.

PANTONVPGLOBE

ThePantonVPGlobe isapendant lampthatcastscalming,diffused lightfromitscenterrim.Itwasdesignedin1969byVernerPanton—theenfantterribleofDanishdesignwholovedtoworkwithmodernmaterialssuchasplasticandsteel.PantonattendedtheRoyalDanishAcademyofFineArts,SchoolsofArchitecture,DesignandConservation,aleadinginstitutionfor

architecture, which today includes a “light laboratory” that examinesdaylightandartificiallighting.

BETTERTHANPHOTOSHOP

Membersofoneprofessionmightbejustasobsessedwithlightingasthe Danes: photographers. Photographymeans painting with light,anddoingitincreasesyourunderstandingoflightandyourabilitytoseeandappreciateit.

This might be the reason why I love photography and have taken tens ofthousandsofpicturesover thepast tenyears, andwhymy favorite light is thegoldenhour.Thegoldenhourisroughlythefirsthouraftersunriseandthelasthour before sunset.When the sun is low in the sky, the sunlight has to travelthroughagreaterdepthofatmosphere.Duringthesetimes,itproducesawarm,soft,diffused light. It is sometimesalsocalled the“magichour”,and I think IhavefalleninlovewitheverywomanwhosepictureIhavetakenatthistimeofdayfor that1/250ofasecond.Thisis thelightyouwanttoaimforifyouaregoing for hyggelig lighting indoors. The flattering quality of the lighting willmake you and all your friends look “grotto-fabulous.” It’s better than anyInstagramfilter.

HYGGETIP:CREATEHYGGELIGLIGHTING

You guessed it. Bring out the candles. But remember to air out the room.However, youmay alsowant to consider your electric-light strategy.Usually,severalsmallerlampsaroundtheroomcreateamorehyggeligtlightthanonebiglampsetintheceiling.Youwanttocreatesmallcavesoflightaroundtheroom.

CHAPTERTWO

WENEEDTOTALKABOUTHYGGE

IT’SALLABOUTTHEHYGGE

The Danish language has been called many things, but seldombeautiful. Google “Danish sounds like . . . ,” and the first twosuggestionsthatappearare“German”and“potato.”Toforeigners,Danish sounds like someone speakingGermanwith a hot potato intheirmouth.

Tobefair,somepeoplehavealsosuggesteditsoundssomewhatlikeadiseasedsealchoking.Nevertheless,itisrichwhenitcomestodescribinghygge.

Hygge comes in the form of both a verb and an adjective. Something can behyggelig(t)(hygge-like):Whatahyggeliglivingroom!Itwassohyggeligttoseeyou!Haveahyggeligtime!

Wethrowthewordshyggeandhyggeligaroundsomuch that, to foreigners, itmight appear excessive.We have to state howhyggelig everything is.All thetime.Andnot just in thehyggemoment itself.We talkabouthowhyggeligt itwillbetogettogetheronFriday,andonMondaywewillremindeachotherofhowhyggeligFridaywas.

HyggeisakeyperformanceindicatorofmostDanishsocialgatherings.“Honey,doyouthinkourguestshyggedethemselves?”(It’sthepasttense—don’tattempttopronounceit.)

Every fewweeks, Imeetupwithagroupofguys toplaypoker. It isquiteaninternational group, with people from Mexico, the United States, Turkey,France, England, India and Denmark. Over the years, we have covered mostsubjectsrangingfromwomentohowtooptimizetherangeofanorangecannon.Due to the diversity of the group, our conversations are always in English.Nevertheless,thereisoneDanishwordthatisoftenusedaroundthetable.Youguessedit.OftenitwillcomefromDannyfromMexicoafterlosingabighand:“Itdoesn’tmatter.Iamjusthereforthehygge.”

Thehyggefactor isnot justakeyperformanceindicatorforsocialevents, it isalsoanotsouniquesellingpointforcafésandrestaurants.Searchfor“beautifulrestaurant” inDanish, andGooglewill provideyouwith7,000hits.Searchingfor a “quality restaurant”will give you 9,600 options and “cheap restaurant,”

30,600. “Hyggelig restaurant” gives you 88,900 hits on Google. As LonelyPlanetpointsout,“TheDanesareobsessedwithcoziness.Allofthem.Eventhetoughestleather-cladbikerwillrecommendabarbasedonits‘hygge’factor.”

Itmeans thateverythingyou learned in thatmarketingclasswaswrong.Price,product,place,andpromotioncankissmyass.Itisallaboutthehygge.IliveinCopenhagen.Cafésareplentiful,andthereisonerightacrossthestreetfrommyapartment.Theircoffeeisanabomination.Ittasteslikefish(yes,Iwassurprisedtoo)andcostsfiveeuros.Istillgotheresometimes.Theyhaveanopenfireplace,soit’shygge.

Fireplaces are not unique to Denmark. Neither are candles, cozy company orsnugglingupwithacupofteaandablanketonastormynight.Danes,however,insistthathyggeisuniquelyDanish.Onethirdrefusetheideathathyggecanbetranslated into other languages and believe that it is mainly practiced inDenmark.

Idisagreewiththat.Danesarenottheonlyoneswhocanhavehyggeoridentifyit,andother languageshavesimilarexpressions.TheDutchcall itgezelligheidandGermans talkofGemütlichkeit, a senseofwell-beingbasedongood foodand good company, andCanadianswill recognize it as “hominess.”However,whilemorelanguagesthanDanishhavesimilaradjectivesforthenounhygge,itseemsthatonlyDanesusehyggeasaverb,asin“Whydon’tyoucomeoverandhyggewithustonight?”Thismightbeunique.

WhatmightalsobeuniqueforDenmarkwhenitcomestohyggeishowmuchwetalkaboutit,focusonit,andconsideritasadefiningfeatureofourculturalidentityandanintegralpartofthenationalDNA.Inotherwords,whatfreedomistoAmericans,thoroughnesstoGermans,andthestiffupperliptotheBritish,hyggeistoDanes.

BecauseofitsimportancetoDanishcultureandidentity,theDanishlanguageisalsorichwhenitcomestotalkingabouthygge.

Danish is an infinite list of compound words. For example,speciallægepraksisplanlægningsstabiliseringsperiode (specialty-doctor-practice-planning-stabilizing-period) is an actual word. It contains fifty-one letters andcouldbeconsideredthegoldengoalofScrabble.

Hygge is no different. You can pretty much add it to any other word in the

Danishlanguage.Youcanbeahyggespreder(someonewhospreadsthehygge),Fridaynightisreservedforfamiliehygge,andsockscanbelabeledhyggesokker.AttheHappinessResearchInstitute,wehaveasignsaying:

“You are welcome to borrow some woolen hyggesokker ifyourfeetarecold.”

WHAT’SINANAME?

Shakespeare famously wrote, in Romeo and Juliet, “What’s in aname?Thatwhichwecallarose/Byanyothernamewouldsmellassweet,”andIthinkhispointappliestohyggeaswell.

Danes are not the only ones who can enjoy the atmosphere, comfort, andpleasurethatcomesfrombeingingoodcompany,infrontofthefire,withsomemulledwine.

WhileanEnglishtranslationofhyggeascozinessmaybeproblematic,becauseit losesa lotof importantassociations,wecanfindavarietyofconceptsmoresimilartohyggearoundtheworld.

GEZELLIGHEID—THENETHERLANDS

Dictionariestellusthatgezelligheidissomethingcozy,quaint,ornice,buttotheDutch,gezelligheidgoeswaybeyondthis.

IfyouwanttoscoresomecheappointswiththeDutch,gowithwhatPresidentObamastatedwhenhevisitedtheNetherlandsin2014:“I’mtoldthere’saDutchwordthatcapturesthespirit,whichdoesn’t translateexactlyinEnglish,but letmesaythatmyfirstvisittotheNetherlandshasbeentrulygezellig.”

TheDutchtendtousethewordgezelliginalotofways—forexample,drinkingcoffeeatagezelligcafé(read:warminterior,flickeringcandles,andasleepingcat). Seeking shelter from the pouring rain at a gezellig bar that serves onlyvintagebeersandplaysoldrecordsisthepurestformofgezelligheid.Sittinginasoullesswaiting room for your appointmentwith the dentist is everything butgezellig,unlessaverygezelligfriendaccompaniesyou.Areyoustartingtoseethesimilaritiesbetweengezelligheidandhygge?

Even though the two are very similar, they are not completely alike, and it’soften emphasized that gezelligheid is a bit more social than hygge. To testwhetherthisisthecase,wecarriedoutasmallsurveyamongDutchpeople,andtheresultsseemtobackupthistheory.

Onmostoftheindicators, itseemsthatDanesexperiencehyggethesamewaytheDutchexperiencegezelligheid.Theconceptisimportantinbothcultures,and

candles,fireplaces,andChristmasarecoreelementsinhyggeandgezelligheid.However,thenotionthatgezelligheidhasamoreoutgoingdimensionthanhyggeis also supported by the datawe collected. Themajority ofDutch people (57percent)agreethatyouexperiencethemostgezelligheidoutsideofyourhome,while only 27 percent of Danes find that it’s most hyggeligt to go out. Inaddition,62percentoftheDutchagreethatsummeristhemostgezelligseasonoftheyear,whileDanespreferautumnintermsofhygge.

KOSELIG—NORWAY

For Norwegians, everything should, ideally, be koselig. Yet again, do notmistakethiswordfor“coziness”(saytheNorwegians).

More than anything, koselig is a feeling of warmth, intimacy, and gettingtogether. A perfect koselig evening would consist of good food on the table,warm colors around you, a group of good friends, and a fireplace, or at leastsomelightedcandles.

HOMINESS—CANADA

Canadiansusethewordhominesstodescribeastateofshuttingouttheoutsideworld. It implies a feeling of community, warmth, and togetherness, buthominessalsoreferstothingsthatresemblehomeorechothefeelingofhome.Thusithasbothaphysicalandasymbolicdimension:itdescribeshowpropertycanbehomeyifit’sauthenticand“real”andhowasituationcanbehomeyifitsomehowbringstomindthestateorfeelingofseekingshelterandshuttingouttheoutsideworld.So,justlikehygge,hominessverymuchimpliesafeelingofauthenticity,warmth,andtogetherness.

GEMÜTLICHKEIT—GERMANY

GermansusethewordGemütlichkeittocoverthestateofwarmth,friendliness,andbelonging,andoften todescribe theatmosphereataGermanbeergarden.VisitinganOktoberfest inGermany,youareevenlikelytohear thesong“EinProstderGemütlichkeit”(“AToasttoCoziness”).

HYGGEISFOREVERYONE

The list of concepts above doesn’t only provide evidence that it ispossible for people other than Danes to experience hygge but alsothattheyalreadydo.

While the concepts across countries aren’t completely identical, what they allshare is that they are more developed and complex versions of a feeling ofcoziness, warmth, and togetherness. The various words denote groups ofdifferentactivitiesandsettingsthatgeneratesimilarandrelatedfeelings,whichhavemergedintolinguisticconcepts.

Danish hygge and Dutch gezelligheid may stand out a bit from the others,though, as they are so integrated in daily conversation and lifestyle. But onecouldaskwhetherthisisinanywaybeneficial.Itmaybedifficulttoprovideasimpleanswertothisquestion.Butitisworthmentioningthat,accordingtotheEuropeanSocialSurvey,DenmarkandtheNetherlandsareamongthecountrieswith the fewest peoplewho seldomenjoy lifeor rarely feel calmand relaxed.Also,thesetwocountriesrepresenttheverytopoftheofficialhappinesschartscommissionedbytheUN.

Sowhat’sinaname?Ontheonehand,thespecificnamehasnovalueinitself.Hyggeworksjustaswellashominessorgezelligheid.Ontheotherhand,weusenamestocapturethatfeelingofcoziness,warmth,andtogetherness,toshapeitintoamorefixedconcept,andeventually,wedevelopaphenomenonthatmarksour unique cultural traits. Throughout this book, I will point toward things,experiences,andmomentsthatarehyggesoyouwillcometoanunderstandingofexactlywhathyggeis.

HYGGEDICTIONARY

Ourwordsshapeouractions.Soherearesomenewwordsthatwillhelpyougetyourhyggeon.

Fredagshygge/Søndagshygge[Fredashooga/Sundashooga]HyggeyouhaveonFridaysorSundays.Afteralongweek,fredagshyggeusuallymeansthefamilycurlinguponthecouchtogetherwatchingTV.Søndagshyggeis about having a slow daywith tea, books,music, blankets, and perhaps theoccasionalwalkifthingsgocrazy.

“A fredagshygge tradition in the family was candy and watching aDisneymovie.”

Hyggebukser[hoogabucksr]Thatonepairofpantsyouwouldneverwear inpublicbutare socomfortablethattheyarelikelytobe,secretly,yourfavorites.

“She just needed a day for herself, so she stayed at home in herhyggebukser,worenomakeup,andjustwatchedtelevisionallday.”

Hyggehjørnet[hoogajornet]Tobeinthemoodforhygge.Literalmeaning:“thecornerofhygge.”

“Iaminhyggehjørnet.”

Hyggekrog[hoogacrow]The nook of a kitchen or living roomwhere one can sit and have a hyggelig

time.

“Let’ssitinthehyggekrog.”

Hyggeonkel[hoogaunkel]A person who plays with the kids and may be a little too lenient. Literalmeaning:“theuncleofhygge.”

“Heissuchahyggeonkel.”

Hyggesnak[hoogasnak]Chitchatorcozyconversationthatdoesn’ttouchoncontroversialissues.

“Wehyggesnakkedeforacoupleofhours.”

Hyggestund[hoogastun]Amomentofhygge.

“He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat in his window for ahyggestund.”

Uhyggeligt[uh-hoogalit]WhilehyggeandhyggeligmaybedifficulttotranslateintoEnglish,itisnotthecase when it comes to the antonym of hygge.Uhyggeligt (un-hygge) means“creepy”or“scary,”andthisprovidesuswithsomeinsightintohowcentralthefeelingofsafetyistohygge.

“Walkingalonethroughthewoodsatnightisuhyggeligtifyouhearawolfhowling.”

AsmyfriendpointedoutinthecabininSweden,theeveningwouldhavebeenevenmorehyggeiftherehadbeenastormoutside.Perhapshyggeisevenmorehyggeif thereisacontrolledelementofdanger—ofuhygge.Astorm,thunder,orascarymovie.

WHEREDOESHYGGECOMEFROM?

Hygge appeared in written Danish for the first time in the early1800s,butthewordisactuallyNorwegianinorigin.

Between1397and1814,DenmarkandNorwaywereonekingdom.DanesandNorwegiansstillunderstandeachother’slanguagestoday.

The original word in Norwegian means well-being. However, hygge mightoriginate from the word hug.Hug comes from the 1560s word hugge, whichmeans“toembrace.”Thewordhuggeisofunknownorigin—maybeitoriginatesfrom theOldNorsehygga,whichmeans “to comfort,”which comes from thewordhugr,meaning“mood.”Inturn,thatwordcomesfromtheGermanicwordhugjan,whichrelatestotheOldEnglishhycgan,meaning“tothink,consider.”Interestingly, consideration, mood, comfort, hug and well-being may all bewordstodescribeelementsofwhathyggeistoday.

HYGGETIP:GETYOURDANISHON

Start throwing those hygge words around. Invite your friends for a hyggeligeveningandcreate compoundwords like there isno tomorrow.Youmayalsowant toput thehyggemanifestoonyour fridge to remindyou tohyggeeveryday.

AGLOBALCONVERSATIONABOUTHYGGE

Hyggeseemstobethetalkofthetownthesedays.

“Hygge:A heart-warming lesson fromDenmark”writes theBBC; “Get cozy:whyweshouldallembracetheDanishartof‘hygge.’”saysTheTelegraph;andMorleyCollegeinLondonisnowteachingstudentshowtohygge.TheHyggeBakeryinLosAngelesisprovidingDanishromkugler[rum-cool-r](rumballs),rum-flavored chocolate treats, originally made by Danish bakers to use upleftover pastry. In the book The Danish Way of Parenting, you can findextensivechaptersonhowhyggeisthewaytoraisethehappiestchildrenintheworld.

THEHYGGEMANIFESTO

1.ATMOSPHERETurndownthelights.

2.PRESENCE

Beherenow.Turnoffthephones.

3.PLEASURE

Coffee,chocolate,cookies,cakes,candy.Gimme!Gimme!Gimme!

4.EQUALITY

4.EQUALITY“We”over“me.”Sharethetasksandtheairtime.

5.GRATITUDE

Takeitin.Thismightbeasgoodasitgets.

6.HARMONY

It’snotacompetition.Wealreadylikeyou.Thereisnoneedtobragaboutyourachievements.

7.COMFORTGetcomfy.Takeabreak.It’sallaboutrelaxation.

8.TRUCENodrama.Let’sdiscusspoliticsanotherday.

9.TOGETHERNESS

Buildrelationshipsandnarratives.“Doyourememberthetimewe...?”

10.SHELTER

Thisisyourtribe.Thisisaplaceofpeaceandsecurity.

CHAPTERTHREE

TOGETHERNESS

LIKEAHUGWITHOUTTOUCHING

Every year, my friends and I go skiing in the Alps (the last time,someoneevenpackedcandles).Weallenjoythespeed,thethrill,theflow,andtheexerciseoftheslopes,buttome,thebestpartofthedayisthehourafterwecomebacktoourcabin.

Yourfeetache,yourbodyisusedandtired,youfindachaironthebalcony,andthedistinctsoundofGrandMarnierbeingpouredtellsyouthatcoffeeisready.Morepeoplecometothebalcony,youareallstillwearingyourskiclothes,tootiredtochange,tootiredtotalk,tootiredforanythingbuttoenjoyoneanother’ssilentcompany,takeintheview,andbreatheintheairofthemountain.

WhenIgivelecturesabouthappinessresearch,Iasktheaudiencetoclosetheireyes and tell them to think of the last time they felt really happy. Sometimespeoplebecomealittleuneasy,butIassurethemthatIamnotgoingtoaskthemto share theirmemorywith the rest of the class.You can almost pinpoint themomentwhenpeoplehavetheirhappymemoryintheirmind,aspeacefulsmileslightuptheroom.WhenIaskpeopletoraisetheirhandiftheywerewithothersintheirmemories,usuallynineoutoftendoso.

Of course, this is not a scientificmethod and therefore proves nothing, but itdoesallowpeopletoattachamemoryandanemotiontothedrystatisticsIthenlaunchatthem.ThereasonwhyIwantthemtorememberthisisthat,inallthework Ihavedonewithin the fieldofhappiness research, this is thepoint Iamsurest about: the best predictor of whether we are happy or not is our socialrelationships.ItistheclearestandmostrecurrentpatternIseewhenIlookatthe

evidenceonwhysomepeoplearehappierthanothers.

Thequestionisthenhowtoshapeoursocietiesandourlivestoallowoursocialrelationshipstoflourish.Oneansweris,ofcourse,tofocusonahealthywork–lifebalance.AndmanylookatDenmarkwithenvywhenitcomestothis.“WewerenotsurprisedtoreadlastweekthattheDanestoppedtheUN’sfirstWorldHappinessReport,”CathyStrongmanwrote inTheGuardian. She hadmovedfrom Finsbury Park in London to Copenhagen three years earlier, with herhusbandandtheirdaughter.

Our quality of life has skyrocketed and our once staunchLondonloyalismhasbeenreplacedbyanalmostembarrassingenthusiasm foreverything“Dansk.”Thegreatest changehasbeen the shift in work–life balance. Whereas previously wemight snatch dinner once Duncan escaped from work ataroundnine, henow leaveshis deskat five.Work later than5.30,andtheofficeisamorgue.Workattheweekend,andtheDanesthinkyouaremad.Theideaisthatfamilieshavetimetoplayandeat togetherat theendof theday,everyday.Anditworks.Duncanbathesandputsour14-month-olddaughterLivto bed most nights. They are best buddies, as opposed tostrangerswhotrytoreacquaintattheweekend.

CathyStrongman,TheGuardian

Some have described the Danish workplace as something like the openingcreditsofTheFlintstones.Comefiveo’clock,everyonehasleftbeforeyoucansay “Yabba dabba doo!” People with children usually leave at four; thosewithout,atfive.Everybodyleaves,headinghometocookdinner.Asamanager,I avoid schedulingmeetings thatwouldendafter four if Ihaveparentsonmyteam,sotheycanpickuptheirkidsattheusualtime.

On average, 60 percent of Europeans socialize with friends, family, orcolleaguesaminimumofonceaweek.ThecorrespondingaverageinDenmarkis78percent.Whileyoucanhyggebyyourself,hyggemostlyhappensinsmallgroupsofclosefriendsorfamily.

Hyggeisalsoasituationwherethereisalotofrelaxedthoughtfulness.Nobodytakes center stage or dominates the conversation for long stretches of time.

Equality is an important element inhygge—a trait that is deeply rooted in theDanishculture—andalsomanifestsitselfinthefactthateverybodytakespartinthechoresofthehyggeligevening.Itismorehyggeligtifweallhelptopreparefood,insteadofhavingthehostaloneinthekitchen.

Time spentwith others creates an atmosphere that is warm, relaxed, friendly,down-to-earth,close,comfortable,snug,andwelcoming.Inmanyways,itislikeagoodhug,butwithoutthephysicalcontact.Itisinthissituationthatyoucanbecompletely relaxed and yourself. The art of hygge is therefore also the art ofexpandingyourcomfortzonetoincludeotherpeople.

WHAT’SLOVEGOTTODOWITHIT?OXYTOCIN

Someoneputsahandonyourshoulder,givesyouakiss,orcaressesyourcheekandyou instantly feelcalmandhappy.Ourbodiesworklike that: it is a wonderful thing. Touch releases the hormoneoxytocin, which makes us feel happy and reduces stress, fear, andpain.

Butwhendoweexperiencethepleasureofhavingoxytocinflowingthroughourbody? A widespread saying is that hugs make us happier, and that is true—oxytocinstartsflowinginintimatesituations,andhelpsusconnecttoeachother.Therefore,itisalsocalled“thecuddlehormone”orthe“lovehormone.”Hyggeisanintimateactivityoftenconnectedwithcozinessandsomecompany,which

leadsonetotheconclusionthatthebodywillmakeoxytocinflowduringtheseevents.Cuddlingpetshas thesameeffectascuddlinganotherperson—wefeelloved, warm, and safe, which are three key words in the concept of hygge.Oxytocinisreleasedwhenwe’rephysicallyclosetoanotherperson’sbody,andcanbedescribedasa“socialglue,”sinceitkeepssocietytogetherbymeansofcooperation,trust,andlove.MaybethatiswhyDanestrustcompletestrangerstosuchagreatextent; theyhyggea lot,andhyggeligeactivitiesreleaseoxytocin,which decreases hostility and increases social connection. Also, warmth andfullness release thishormone.Good food, candles, fireplaces, andblankets areconstantcompanionstohygge.Inaway,hyggeisallaboutoxytocin.Coulditbethatsimple?Perhaps it isnotacoincidence thateverything thathas todowithhyggemakesusfeelhappy,calm,andsafe.

HAPPYTOGETHER

Beingwith other people is a key part of hygge, but as a happinessresearcher, I can also testify that it might be the most importantingredient tohappiness.There isbroadagreementamonghappinessresearchers and scientists that social relations are essential forpeople’shappiness.

AccordingtotheWorldHappinessReportcommissionedbytheUnitedNations,“Whilebasic livingstandardsareessentialforhappiness,after thebaselinehasbeen met, happiness varies more with quality of human relationships thanincome.”

Theimportanceofourrelationshipshasevenledtoattemptstoevaluatetheminmonetary terms. “Putting a Price Tag on Friends, Relatives, and Neighbors:Using Surveys of Life Satisfaction to Value Social Relationships,” a studyundertakenintheUnitedKingdomin2008,estimatedthatanincreaseinsocialinvolvementsmayproduceanincreaseoflifesatisfactionequivalenttoanextra$110,000ayear.

I see this linkbetweenour relationshipsandourhappinessagainandagain, inglobaldataandsurveys,aswellasDanishones.Oneexampleisacitystudyweconducteda fewyears agoat theHappinessResearch Institute, in the townofDragør,justoutsideCopenhagen.

Wewereworkingwiththecitycounciltomeasurehappinessandlifesatisfactionamong the citizens. Together, we developed recommendations on how toimprovequalityoflifeinthecity.Aspartoftheexploration,wesurveyedbothhow satisfied peoplewerewith their social relationships and how happy theywereoverall.Herewefound—aswealwaysdo—averystrongcorrelation.Themoresatisfiedpeoplearewiththeirsocialrelationships,thehappiertheyareingeneral. As I mentioned before, the relationship factor is usually the bestpredictorofwhetherpeoplearehappyornot.IfIcannotaskpeopledirectlyhowhappytheyare,Iaskthemhowsatisfiedtheyarewiththeirsocialrelationships,

becausethatgivesmetheanswer.

Anoverall satisfactionwithour relationships isone thing; theeveryday joyofgoodcompanyyetanother.Andhere,NobelPrize-winningpsychologistDanielKahneman’sDayReconstructionMethodmayshedsomelighton theeffectofhygge. The method prompts people to go through a normal day, rating howpleasedorannoyedordepressedtheyfeelduringarangeofactivities.

Inwhathasbecomeaclassicstudyfrom2004,agroupofscientistsatPrinceton,led byDr.Kahneman, had 909women inTexas participate in an experiment.Thewomenwould fill out a long diary and questionnaire detailing everythingtheyhaddonethedaybeforeandratingitonaseven-pointscale:whatdidtheydo and atwhat time,whowere theywith, and how did they feel during eachactivity?Perhapsunsurprisingly,thegroupofresearchersfoundthatcommutingto work, doing housework, and facing a boss were among the least pleasantactivities,whilesex,socializing,eatingandrelaxingwerethemostenjoyable.Ofcourse,socializing,eating,andrelaxingarealsomainingredientsofhygge.

According to the “belongingness hypothesis”, we have a basic need to feelconnectedwithothers, andclose, caringbondswithotherpeopleplayamajorpartinourmotivationandbehavior.Amongtheevidenceforthebelongingnesshypothesisisthefactthatpeopleacrosstheworldarebornwiththeabilityandmotivationtoformcloserelationships, thatpeoplearereluctant tobreakbonds

once theyhavebeenformed,and thatmarriedorcohabitingpeople live longerthan single people (although this last is in part due to an enhanced immunesystem).

“Our relationships affect our happiness! Well, gosh, thank you, happinessresearch!” Yes, as scientists, we can find it quite frustrating to spend yearslookingintothequestionofwhysomepeoplearehappier thanothersandthenfind an answer that we all knew anyway. Nevertheless, now we have thenumbers,thedata,andtheevidencetosupportthenotion,andwecanandshouldmakeuseofthemwhenweshapeourpolicies,oursocieties,andourlives.

We are social creatures, and the importance of this is clearly seen when onecompares the satisfaction people feel in relationships with their overallsatisfaction with life. The most important social relationships are closerelationships in which you experience things together with others, andexperiencebeingunderstood;whereyou share thoughts and feelings, andboth

giveandreceivesupport.Inoneword:hygge.

ThatmaybewhyDanesprefersmallercirclesoffriendswhentheyarelookingforhygge.Ofcourse,youcanhaveahyggeligtimeiftherearemorepeople,butDaneswould rather a smaller groupof people for ahyggelig time.Almost 60percentofDanessaythebestnumberofpeopleforhyggeisthreetofour.

THEDARKSIDEOFHYGGE

Hangingoutwithyourclose friends ina tightlyknit socialnetwork,where you all go way back together and know each other well,definitelyhasitsbenefits.

ButinrecentyearsIhavealsocometorealizethatthereisaseveredrawbacktoa social landscape like this: it doesn’t readily admit newcomers.Every personI’ve met who has moved to Denmark tells me the same thing. It is close toimpossibletopenetratethesocialcirclesthere.Orat least itrequiresyearsandyearsofhardworkandpersistence.

Admittedly, Danes are not good at inviting new people into their friendshipcircles.Inpart,thisisduetotheconceptofhygge;itwouldbeconsideredlesshyggeligtifthereweretoomanynewpeopleatanevent.Sogettingintoasocialcirclerequiresalotofeffortandalotoflonelinessontheway.Thegoodthingis,inthewordsofmyfriendJon,“Onceyouarein,youarein.”Onceyouhavebrokenthrough,youcantrustyouwillhaveformedlifelongfriendships.

HYGGE—SOCIALIZINGFORINTROVERTS

While I was researching this book, I gave a lecture to a group ofAmericanstudentswhowerespendingaterminCopenhagen.IoftenuselecturesasopportunitiestogatherinputandinspirationforwhatIamcurrentlyresearching,and thiswasnodifferent, so I steered thediscussionontowardrelationshipbetweenwell-beingandhygge.

Onestudentwhohadbeenquietinthepreviousdiscussionsraisedherhand.“Iamanintrovert,”shesaid.“And,tome,hyggeissuchawonderfulthing.”HerpointwasthatintheUnitedStates,shewasusedtotakingpartinsocialactivitieswithalotofpeople,alotoffastnetworking,andmuchexcitement.Inshort,shewas in the realmof the extroverts. InDenmark, she found that theway socialactivities are organized suited her much more—and that hygge was the bestthingthatcouldhappenforintroverts.Itwasawayofbeingsocialwithoutbeingdrainingforthem.IthoughtthatthiswasperhapsthemostinsightfulthingIhadheardinalongtimeandpromisedherIwouldstealherinsightandputitinthisbook.

It is known that introverts derive their energy from within, while extrovertsderivetheirsfromexternalstimulation.Introvertsareoftenseenasloners,whileextroverts are the ones to surround yourself with if youwant to have a goodtime. Introversion is often wrongly linked with shyness, and although socialevents are not for everyone and might leave an introvert overstimulated andexhausted,socialintrovertsdoexist(justascalmextrovertsdo).

Thismaysoundabitclichéd,butintrovertsoftenprefertodevotetheir“socialtime” to loved ones whom they know very well, to have meaningfulconversations or to sit down and read a bookwith somethingwarm to drink.This happens to have a very high hygge factor—great, right? Introverts aresocial,butinadifferentway.Thereisnotonesinglewayofbeingsocial,butitmight feel like there are right and wrong ways. Just because introverts are

drainedbytoomanyexternalstimulidoesn’tmeantheydon’twanttohangoutwithotherpeople.Hyggeisawayofsocializingthatcansuitintroverts:theycanhavearelaxingandcozynightwithacoupleoffriendswithouthavingtoincludealotofpeopleandalotofactivity.Introvertsmightwanttostayathomeinsteadof attending a big party with a lot of people they don’t know, and hyggebecomes an option, something in between socializing and relaxing. It makesthese twoworldsgohand inhand,which isgreatnewsforboth introvertsandextroverts,sinceitbecomessomethingofacompromise.So,toallyouintrovertsout there, do not feel embarrassed or boring for being a person who prefersthings that are hygge. And to all extroverts: light some candles, put on somesoothingmusic,andembraceyourinnerintrovert,justforthenight.

HYGGETIP:HOWTOMAKEMEMORIES

Itiscommonknowledgethatthebestpartofmemoriesismakingthem.Startanew traditionwithyour friendsor family. ItmightbeplayingboardgamesonthefirstFridayofeverymonth,orcelebratingthesummersolsticebythewater.In fact it canbewhatevermeaningful activitywillknit thegroupmore tightlytogetherovertheyears.

CHAPTERFOUR

FOODANDDRINK

YOUAREWHATYOUEAT

Ifhyggewasaperson,IthinkitwouldbeAliceWaters.Withacasual,rustic, and slow approach to life, she embodies many of the keyelements of hygge—and she also seems to understand the value ofgood,heartyfoodinthecompanyofgoodpeople.

NewNordicfoodhasgottenalotofattentioninthelastfewyears.Thecenterofattention has been Noma, which opened in 2003 and has been rated the bestrestaurant in theworld four times since 2010.While a dish consisting of liveshrimpcoveredinantsmaymaketheheadlines,itisrelativelyfarfromeverydayDanish cuisine. Traditional Danish lunch includes a budget version ofsmørrebrød (open-faced sandwiches) on rye bread with pickled herring orleverpostej(liverpaste—aspreadablemixtureofbaked,choppedpig’sliverandlard).Ibetyouthinkthoseantsarebeginningtolookappetizing.Fordinner,50Shades of Meat and Potatoes would be an apt title for a traditional Danishcookbook. Danes are meat lovers, and on average, every person consumesaround105poundsofmeatperyear—withporkbeingthenation’sfavorite.

The high level ofmeat, confectionery and coffee consumption inDenmark isdirectlylinkedtohygge.Hyggeisaboutbeingkindtoyourself—givingyourselfatreat,andgivingyourself,andeachother,abreakfromthedemandsofhealthyliving. Sweets are hyggelige. Cake is hyggeligt. Coffee or hot chocolate arehyggeligt, too. Carrot sticks, not so much. Something sinful is an integralcomponent of the hygge ritual. But it should not be something fancy or

extravagant. Foie gras is not hyggeligt. But a hearty stew is. Popcorn is.Especiallyifweallsharethesamebowl.

LET’SSINTOGETHER

Acoupleofyearsago, Ivisiteda friendofmineandhis family.Hisdaughterwasfouratthetime,andoverdinnersheturnedtomeandasked,“Whatisyourjob?”

“Itrytofindwhatmakespeoplehappy,”Ireplied.

“That’seasy.”She shrugged.“Sweets.”When it comes tohappiness, I amnotsuretheansweristhatsimple,butshemighthavebeenontosomethingwhenitcomestohygge.

Danesarecrazyaboutconfectionery,andamajorityofpeopleassociateitwithhygge:gummybears,licoriceandflødeboller[fleu-the-ball-r],chocolatedomesstuffed with cream. In fact, according to a report by Sugar ConfectioneryEurope,theannualconsumptionofconfectioneryinDenmarkis18poundsperperson, making Danes second only to the Finns as the people who eat moresweets than anyone in theworld, twice theEuropean average.Also, by 2018,Denmark is expected to overtake Finland as the world’s most sweet-crazedcountry.AnditisnotjustsweetsDanesarecrazyabout.Cake,anyone?

CAKE

Cakeismostdefinitelyhyggeligt,andweDaneseatalotofit.Cakeisacommonsightinouroffices.Jonisoneofmypokerbuddies,andheand I meet over a pint at his favorite bar in Copenhagen, LordNelson,todiscusshyggeandourDanishcakeobsession.

“Wedowalksbythemeetingroomstoscoutandmonitorleftovercake.Wecallitcakewatch,”hetoldme.“Andthisisjustforinternalmeetings.Ifclientsarecoming,thentherewillbepetitsfoursontop.”Jonisright.Cakesandpastriesmakeeverythinghyggeligt,botheatingthemandbakingthem.Theyalsobringanatmosphereofcasualnesstoanybusinessmeeting.

However,mostcakesareeatenoutsidetheoffice,athomeorincakeshops.Oneof the most popular and traditional ones is La Glace, Denmark’s oldestconfectionery shop, established in 1870. Their selection of cakes, includingcakes named after famous Danes like Hans Christian Andersen and KarenBlixen,lookslikesomethingoutofadream.Theirmostfamouscakeisperhaps“sportcake,”whichisessentiallyanoceanofwhippedcreamandsonotexactlythebreakfastofsportschampions.ThenamederivesfromthefactthatthecakewasfirstproducedforthepremiereofaplaycalledSportsManin1891.Theoldideals,theinterior,thecakesandpastriesandthebeautifulroomsinwhichonesitsdowntoenjoyasweetmasterpiecescreamhyggealloverCopenhagen.

KAGEMAND

Theysaythatyoursuperheroessayalotaboutyou.AmericanshaveSuperman, Spiderman, and Batman. Danes have . . . well . . .Cakeman.

Okay, so he is not a superhero per se, but he is as popular as his Americancolleaguesatbirthdayparties.Cakeman (Kagemand [Cai-man]) isa traditionalelement at Danish birthday parties for children. It looks like a large-scalegingerbreadman,ismadeofasweetdoughwithlotsofsugarandbutter,andisdecoratedwithsweets,Danishflags,andcandles.Ifonlywecouldaddbacontotherecipe,wewouldhaveallthingsessentiallyDanishinoneplace.PartofthetraditionisthatthebirthdayboyorgirlcutsthethroatoftheCakemanwhiletheotherkidsscream.

“Happy birthday, darling. Now cut the throat of Cakeman.”HowisthatforahyggeligNordic-noirbirthday?

PASTRIES

Apastry that is typicallyDanish is . . .well . . . aDanish. It isnoteverynationalitythatgetsabutter-infuseddoughwithgooeycreaminthemiddlenamedafterit.

Usually,itisthekindofnationthathaslosteverywartheyhaveparticipatedinfor centuries. However, in Denmark, Danish pastries are called wienerbrød(Viennabread),asDanishpastryrecipeswerefirstdevelopedbychefswhohadbeen to Vienna in themiddle of the nineteenth century. Some of the pastrieshavecharmingnamessuchas“snails”or“thebaker’sbadeye,”butnamesaside,theyaredeliciousandgoodforhygge.Also,ifyouarelookingtospreadjoyandcheer in aDanish office, just shout out theword “Bon-kringle!” Kringle is aclassicDanishpastryandbonmeansreceipt.Theconceptbehindbon-kringleisthatwhenyoubuy cake andpastryworth 1,000kroner (around$140) at yourlocalbakery, ifyoupresentthereceipts, thebakerwillgiveyouafreekringle.It’slikeapastryloyaltycard—butwithouttheloyaltycard.

DIY

Gettingyourhandsdirtybybakingathomeisahyggeligactivitythatyou can do by yourself or with friends and family. Few thingscontributemore to the hygge factor than the smell of freshly bakedgoods.

TheresultdoesnotneedtolooklikesomethingoutofaDisneymovie—infact,themorerustic,themorehyggeitis.Forsometimenow,sourdoughhasbeenahitamongalotofDanes.Theslownessoftheprocessandthefeelingoftakingcare of a living thingmakes it all themorehyggeligt. SomeDanes talk abouttheirdoughasifitweretheirbaby,whichtheyfeedandcarefor.SourdoughisbasicallyagastronomicalternativetoTheSims.

HOTDRINKS

MyteamofresearchersranasurveyamongDanes to findoutwhatpeople associate hyggewith. I had putmymoney on candles, but Iwaswrong.Candlescamesecond,whilehotdrinkstookfirstplace.

Hotdrinksarewhat86percentofDanesassociatewithhygge.Itmightbetea,hotchocolate,ormulledwine,buttheDanes’favoritehotdrinkiscoffee.

IfyouloveDanishTVdramaslikeBorgenorTheKilling,youwillbefamiliarwith the Danes’ love of coffee. Hardly a scene goes by without someoneorderingacoffee,brewingcoffee,oronepersonlookingatanotherwhileasking,“Coffee?” Danes are the world’s fourth biggest coffee drinkers and consumearound33percentmorepercapitathanAmericans.

“Livelifetodaylikethereisnocoffeetomorrow.”

The link between coffee and hygge is evident in the Danish language.Kaffehygge,anothercompoundword,thisoneconsistingofcoffeeandhygge,iseverywhere. “Come to kaffehygge,” kaffehygge and cake, workout andkaffehygge, yarn and kaffehygge. Kaffehygge is everywhere. There is even awebsite dedicated to kaffehygge that states, “Live life today like there is nocoffeetomorrow.”

Sowhileyoucanhyggewithoutcoffee,havingsomedefinitelyhelps.Thereissomething comforting about having awarm cup of coffee in your hands. It isdefinitelyconducivetohygge.

ADDICTEDTOHYGGE?

You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy cake, and that is almost the samething—atleast,thatmightbeourbrain’sopinion.Imagineopeningthedoortoacoffeeshop.Temptingaromasfromallthesweetthingsonthecounterhityouasyoustepinside,andwhenyouseeallthepastriesandcakesyoufeelhappy.Youchooseyourfavoritecake,andwhenyoutakethefirstbite,afeelingofeuphoriaspreads through your body.Oh yes, that is good.But have you thought aboutwhyyoufeelsohappywheneatingsugaryfood?

In thebasal forebrain there is something called thenucleus accumbens. It is apart of the brain’s reward system and has a significant rolewhen it comes tomotivation,pleasure,andreinforcement.Likeallothervertebrates,wehavethissystem because it is important that we feel pleasure when doing things likeeatingfoodandhavingsex,sincethesethingsarevitalforourspecies’survival.

When you are doing something that is considered rewarding, a chemical

substance is released in the brain, and the signal substance dopamine isactivated. Close to the nucleus accumbens, there is an area called the ventraltegmental area, anddopamine is released from there in reward situations. It iswhendopamineistransferredfromnervefiberstoreceptorsindifferentpartsofthe brain that we experience pleasure. Memories of a pleasurable event arestoredinthecerebralcortexsowewon’tforgetthem.Itmaysoundstrange,butinaway,youcouldsaythebraincreatesaddictionsforoursurvival.

Whenwe are born, the first thingwe taste is sweet breastmilk. Liking sweetfoodisbeneficialforoursurvival,andthatiswhyweexperiencefeelingsofjoywheneatingcakesandothersugarythings,andwhywefindithardtostop.Ourbody has taught us to continue doing things that are rewarded. It’s the samethingthatcallswhenitcomestofatandsalt.

Inshort,weassociateacertainkindoffoodwiththefeelingofpleasure,whichmakesuswantmore.Hyggeissomethingthat issupposedtobeandfeelgoodforyou,andthatmeansifyouwanttoeatcake,havesomecake.Butatthesametime, we must know when to stop. It is not very hyggeligt to have astomachache.

SLOWFOOD’SCHUBBYCOUSIN

Soconfectionery,cakes,andpastriesarehyggelige.Butthereismoretohyggefoodthanincreasingyourbodymass.Hyggemaybecomfortfood.Buthyggefoodisalsoverymuchslowfood.

Howhyggelig a food is also lies in its preparation. The rule of thumb is: thelongeradishtakestocook,themorehyggeligitis.

Preparinghyggefoodisaboutenjoyingtheslowprocessofit,aboutappreciatingthetimeyouspendandthejoyofpreparingsomethingofvalue.Itisaboutyourrelationshipwiththemeal.Thatiswhyhomemadejamsaremorehyggeligethanboughtones.Everybitewilltakeyoubacktothatsummerdaywhenyoupickedthefruitandtheentirehousesmelledofstrawberries.

Especially in the wintertime, I enjoy spending the best part of a weekendafternoon cooking something that requires hours baking in the oven orsimmeringon the stove.Theprocess can evenbe extendedbyvisiting agreatfarmers’market, carefully selecting the vegetables in season or having a chatwith the butcher about which meat he would recommend for a slow-cookedstew.Havingapotsimmeringonthestovewhileyouarereadingabookinyourhyggekrog is not only the soundof hyggebut the essenceof hygge.Theonlyreasontogetupistoaddabitmoreredwinetothestew.

ItisimportanttostressthattheprocessneednotrevolvearoundthesimmeringofsomemeatyoldNordiccuisine.It isabout theprocess,not theendproduct.Lastsummer,Itriedtomakelimoncello.Partoftheprocessisthatyouleavethe

peel of several lemons soaking in alcohol for over aweek, for the alcohol toabsorbtheflavorandthecolorofthepeel.EverydayafterworkIwouldcomehome, open the fridge, and take a good sniff to see howmy concoction wasprogressing.The end resultwas so-so, but the enjoyment frommonitoring theprogressofthebottleinthefridgewashyggealltheway.

HYGGERECIPES

Fiverecipesthatwilldefinitelygetthehyggegoing.

SKIBBERLABSKOVS

BRAISEDPORKCHEEKSINDARKBEERWITHPOTATO-CELERIACMASH

BOLLERIKARRY

GLØGG

SNOBRØD

SNOBRØD

SKIBBERLABSKOVS(SKIP-ER-LAP-SCOWS)

SKIPPERSTEW

Thisdishisaheartydown-to-earthstew,originallymadeonships(hencethename),andisgreatforabriskautumnday.Insteadofbrisket,youcanuse

leftovermeat,makingitevenmoredown-to-earthandhyggelig.

Serves4–6.Cookingtime1hourand15minutes.

1½poundsbrisket

3onions

7tablespoonsbutter

3–4bayleaves10–12blackpeppercorns

4cupschickenstock

3½poundspotatoesSaltandpepperAhandfulofchives

4–6pickledbeetsRyebread

1.Cutthebrisketintobite-sizecubes.

2.Peelandchoptheonions.

3.Melt thebutter ina thick-bottomedpotorDutchovenand sauté theonionsuntiltheyaretranslucent(theyshouldnotbrown).

4. Add the meat, bay leaves, and peppercorns, then pour the boiling chickenstockintothepot.Itshouldjustcoverthemeatandonions.

5.Coverandleavetosimmerforaboutforty-fiveminutes.Peelthepotatoesandcutthemintobite-sizepieces.

6.Puthalfofthepotatoesontopofthemeatandputthelidbackon.

7. After fifteen minutes, stir the contents of the pot and add the rest of thepotatoes—and a bit of extra chicken stock if needed. Simmer for anotherfifteen to twentyminuteson lowheat, remembering tostir frequentlyso thestewdoesn’t burn on the bottom.The aim is for themeat to be sitting in apotatomashbutfortherestilltobewholepiecesoftenderpotato.

8.Seasonwith salt andpepper, and servehotwith a pat of butter, a generousamountofchives,onepickledbeetperperson,andryebread.

BRAISEDPORKCHEEKSINDARKBEERWITHPOTATO-CELERIACMASH

Thisisoneofmyfavoritewinterdishes.Itneedstosimmerforalongtimeonthestovetoincreasethehyggefactor,andtoallowyoutospendtimewitha

glassofwineandyourfavoritebookinthemeantime.

Serves4.Cookingtime1hourand45minutes–2hours.

Forthebraisedporkcheeks:10–12porkcheeksSaltandpepper

1tablespoonbutter

⅛celeriac,peeledandroughlychopped1carrot,peeledandroughlychopped1onion,peeledandroughlychopped1tomato,quartered1pintofdarkbeerorale

Forthepotato-celeriacmash:1¾poundspotatoes¼celeriac,peeledscant1cupmilk

2tablespoonsbutter

Handfulchoppedparsleyandbreadforserving

Braisedporkcheeks:1.Drytheporkcheekswithapapertowelandseasonwiththesaltandpepper.

2.Let thebutter turngoldeninasaucepanovermediumtohighheat.Addthemeatandbrownitonallsides,roughlythreetofourminutesintotal.

3. Add the celeriac, carrot, and onion and let them brown before adding thetomato.

4.Pourinthebeer.Addwaterifnecessarytocoverthemeatandvegetables.

5.Turn theheatdown lowand simmer for about anhourandahalf,until themeatistender.

6.Removethemeatbutcontinueboilingtoreducethesauce,thenputitthroughasieveandseason.

Potato-celeriacmash:1.Cutthepotatoesandceleriacintobite-sizepieces.

2.Boilthepotatoesandceleriacuntiltender,thendrainandmashthevegetables.

3.Warmthemilkinthepan,andadditandthebuttertothemash.Season.

4.Servethebraisedporkcheeksonabedofmash.Youmayaddasprinkleofparsleyandsomebread*tomopupthesauce.

GLØGG(GLOEG)

MULLEDWINE

NoDecemberiscompletewithoutthetraditionalgløgg.DaneswillmeetatbarsorinvitefriendsandfamilyovertowisheachotheraMerryChristmasoverthis

warm,spicywine.

Serves6–10.Cookingtime20minutes(plussoakingtimeforraisins)Forthegløggessence:

4handfulsofraisins

10ouncesport

1bottleofheavyredwine,suchasBeaujolaisorCôtesduRhone*1cupbrownsugar(preferablyabrownsugarthatconsistsofsugarcrystalsand

canesyrup—butnormalbrownsugarwilldo)20gcinnamonsticks(8to10sticks)20gallspice(whole)20gcloves(whole)10gcardamom(whole)

Forthegløgg:2bottlesofheavyredwine,suchasBeaujolaisorCôtesduRhone¾cupbrownrum¾cupakvavit(orvodka)Peelof1orange¾cupfreshlysqueezedorangejuice

1cupchoppedalmonds

1.Soaktheraisinsintheport,preferablyfor24hours.

2.Startbymakingthegløggessence.Pourthebottleofredwineintoapot,addthe sugar and cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and cardamom, and heat to justbelowboilingpoint.Turnoff theheat andallow tocool, then strainout thearomatics.

3.Add the additional bottles of redwine, spirits, orange peel and juice to thegløgg essence. Again, heat to just below boiling point, and then add theraisins,portandthealmonds.Servewarm.

SNOBRØD(SNO-BROEÐ)*

TWISTBREAD

ThisdishisnotlikelytobefeaturedatNomaanytimesoon.Itisnotthefanciestbreadyou’lleverhave,buttheprocessofmakingitgetstopmarksforhyggeand

kidsloveit.

Makes6pieces.

Cookingtime1hourand15minutes(including1hourforthedoughtorest).

2tablespoonsbutter

1cupmilk

6½teaspoonsyeast

2teaspoonssugar

¾teaspoonsalt

3⅛cupflour

1.Meltthebutterinasaucepanandaddthemilk.Heatuntillukewarm.Addtheyeastanddissolve.

2.Pourthemixintoalargebowlandaddtheotheringredientstomakeadough,butsavealittlebitoftheflour.Kneadthedoughwellandputitbackintothebowl.Coverandleaveittoriseforaboutanhourinawarmplace.

3.Putthedoughonaflour-coveredsurfaceandkneadwellagain.Youmayaddtherestoftheflouratthispoint.Dividethedoughintosixpiecesandrolleachpieceintoastripabout16incheslong,thenwindaroundathickishstick.

4.Bakethebreadovertheembersofafire,butbecarefulnottohavethebreadtoo close to the heat. The bread will be baked sufficiently when it gives ahollow sound when you knock on it, or when it easily slips off the stick.Baking time depends on the fire and your patience, but usually around tenminutes.

HYGGETIP:CREATEACOOKINGCLUB

A few years ago, I wanted to create some kind of system that wouldmean Iwouldget to see someofmygood friendsona regularbasis, sowe formedacookingclub.Thiswasinpartpromptedbymywork,astheimportanceofourrelationshipsalwaysemergesasakeyindicatorofwhysomepeoplearehappierthanothers.Furthermore, Iwanted toorganize the cooking club in away thatmaximizedthehygge.Soinsteadoftakingturnsbeingthehostandcookingforthefiveorsixotherpeople,wealwayscooktogether.Thatiswherethehyggeis.The rules are simple. Each time there is a theme, or a key ingredient—forexample,duckorsausages—eachpersonbringsingredientstomakeasmalldishtofitthetheme.Itcreatesaveryrelaxed,informal,egalitariansetting,wherenoone person has to cater for the guests—or live up to the standards of the lastfancydinnerparty.

Oneofthemosthyggeligeveningswehavehadinthecookingclubwasthetime

we tried to make sausages. We spent three or four hours mincing the meat,stuffingthecasings,boilingandfryingthesausages.Feelingproudofourselves,we were looking at mountains of sausages when we were finally able to sitdown, around ten o’clock in the evening, hungry as Vikings. The result:disastrous. The first taste sensation I gotwasmold.Not exactlywhat you arelookingforinasausage.Wemighthavegonetobedslightlyhungrythatnight—buttheeveninghadbeenveryhyggelig.

CHAPTERFIVE

CLOTHING

CASUALISKEY

When itcomes toDenmark,casual iskey.Danes ingeneralenjoyacasualtone,acasualatmosphere,andacasualdresscode.

Youwill not findmany three-piece suits on the streets ofCopenhagen, and ifyouarepartofthepinstripedbusinessbrigade,youareboundtofindtheDanishwayofdressingalmostsloppy.However,youmayintimediscoverthatthereisaDanisharttomasterbeingstylishandcasualatthesametime.Forthecasualyetstylishlook,manypeople—includingme—gowiththecomboofaT-shirtorsweater on the inside and then a blazer on the outside. I prefer the oneswithleatherpatchesontheelbowsforthehyggeandfortheprofessorlook.Infact,Imayoverusethepatchesalittlebit,asmyfriendsjokethatiftheyneedtolookformewhen I am standingwithmyback to them in a crowdedbar, they justlookoutforthepatches.

HOWTODRESSLIKEADANE

Danish fashion is sleek,minimalistic, elegant,butnothighly strung.In many ways, it is a sweet spot between hygge and minimalisticfunctionaldesign.

SCARVES

A scarf is a must. This goes for men as well as women. While it ispredominantly for the winter, people suffering from scarves withdrawalsymptomshavebeenobservedwearingscarvesmidsummer.Thegoldenruleis:thebiggerthebetter.Sopilethatstylish,thicklywrappedscarfon,justonestepshortofriskingneckinjuries.TheDaneslovescarvessomuchthatsomeBritshavebeenreferringtotheDanishTVdramaBorgenas“ScarfWatch.”

BLACKOnceyougetoutofCopenhagenairport,youmaythinkyouhavewalkedontothesetofaninjamovie.InDenmark,everyonewearsblack.Youwanttoaimfora look that would be fitting for Karl Lagerfeld’s funeral: stylish butmonochrome. In the summertime, you are allowed to go for awider range ofcolors,evensomethingcrazilyflamboyantlikegray.

TOPBULKY

Acombinationofhand-knittedwoolsweaters,jumpers,cardigans,andpulloversontop,andblackleggingsforgirlsandskinnyjeansforboyswillgiveyouthebalancebetweenhyggeandfashion.Sweaterscanbebulkybutneversloppy—anddon’tforgetthescarf.

LAYERS

Thekeytosurvivingfourseasonsinonedayislayers.Youshouldalwaysbringanothercardigan.Youcan’thyggewhenyouarecold.

WOOLENSOCKS

Allyyourselfwithanicepairofwoolensocksasahyggeinsurance.

CASUALHAIRTheDanishhairstyleiscasualtothepointofbeingborderlinelazy.Wakeupandgo.Girlscanputtheirhairinabun,thehigherthebetter.

THESARAHLUNDSWEATER

Perhaps themost iconicsweater is theonemadefamousbySarahLundin theDanishTV dramaTheKilling.TheGuardian even featured an article entitled“TheKilling:SarahLund’sjumperexplained.”Thesweaterbecamesopopularthat the company producing it in the Faroe Islands couldn’t keep up withdemand.

ItwastheactressSofieGråbølwhochosethesweater.“Isawthatsweaterandthought, that’s it! Lund is so sure of herself. She doesn’t have towear a suit.She’satpeacewithherself.”Thesweaterisalsoareminderofherchildhoodintheseventiesandherhippieparents,whoworesimilarsweaters.“Thatsweaterwasasignofbelievingintogetherness.”

HYGGETIP:HOWTOBUY

Link purchaseswith good experiences. I had savedmoney for a new favoritechairbutwaiteduntilIhadpublishedmyfirstbooktogetit.Thatway,thechairremindsmeofsomethingthatwasanimportantaccomplishmentforme.Wecanapply the same thing to that special sweateror thatpairofnicewoolensocks.Save for them—but wait until you have that really hyggelig experience: youwanttoberemindedofitwhenyoupullthemon.

CHAPTERSIX

HOME

HYGGEHEADQUARTERS

DanishTVdramassuchasBorgen,TheKilling,andTheBridgeare,by people abroad, sometimes referred to as “furniture porn.”Mostscenes are shot in beautifully decorated houses and flats furnishedwithDanishdesignclassics.

Andyes,Danes do lovedesign, andwalking intomanyDanish homes canbelikewalkingintothepagesofaninteriordesignmagazine.

Thereasonfor theDanishobsessionwith interiordesign is thatourhomesarethe hygge headquarters. Home is central to social life in Denmark. Whereasothercountrieshaveacultureofsocial lifepredominantlytakingplaceinbars,restaurants,andcafés,Danespreferhjemmehygge(homehygge)—amongotherreasons,toavoidthehighpriceschargedinrestaurants.SevenoutoftenDanessaytheyexperiencemosthyggeathome.

Danes therefore tend toputa lotofeffortandmoney intomaking theirhomeshyggelige.TheyenjoythemostlivingspacepercapitainallofEurope.

OneDecemberwhileIwasastudent,IspentallmysparetimesellingChristmastrees.Itwasacoldwinter,butworkingwiththetreeskeptmewarm.IspenttheentiresalaryIearnedthatmonthfromcarrying,sawing,hammering,chopping,andsellingtreesonachair:theShellChair,abeautydesignedin1963byHansJ.Wegner.Minewaswalnutwithdarkbrownleather.Twoyearslater,my

apartmentwasbrokeninto.Theystolethechair.Needlesstosay,Iwasangrythatmybeautifulchairhadbeenstolen.Butatleasttheburglarshadgoodtaste.

Perhaps theDanish obsessionwith design is best exemplified bywhat is nowknownastheKählerVaseScandal,orsimplyVasegate.TheKählervasewasananniversarypiece thatwassold ina limitededitiononAugust25,2014.Morethan 16,000 Danes tried to buy it online that day—most in vain, as the vasequickly soldout.Thewebsitecrashedandpeoplequeued in long linesoutsidethestoresthatwerestockingthevase.Thecompanythatproducedthevasewashit by a public backlash over the limited supply. Was this a little too muchhysteriaoveraneight-inch-highvasewithcopperstripes,eventhoughitwouldcomplement most Danish homes nicely? Perhaps, but Danes have relativelyshortworkingweeks,andgetfreehealthcareandauniversityeducationontopoffiveweeksofpaidholidayperyear.Notgettingthatvasewastheworstthingthathadhappenedtotheminyears.

HYGGEWISHLIST:TENTHINGSTHATWILLMAKEYOURHOMEMOREHYGELLIG

1.AHYGGEKROG.

2.AFIREPLACE

3.CANDLES

4.THINGSMADEOUTOFWOOD

5.NATURE

6.BOOKS

7.CERAMICS

8.THINKTACTILE

9.VINTAGE

10.BLANKETSANDCUSHIONS

1.AHYGGEKROG

The one thing that every home needs is a hyggekrog, which roughlytranslatesas“anook.”Itistheplaceintheroomwhereyoulovetosnuggleup in a blanket, with a book and a cup of tea. Mine is by the kitchenwindow.I’veputsomecushions,ablanket,andareindeerhidethere,andIalso sit there towork in the evenings. In fact,many of these pageswerewrittenthere.

Danes love their comfy space. Everyone wants one, and hyggekroge arecommoninCopenhagenandthroughoutthecountry.Walkingonthestreetsofthecity,youwillnoticethatmanyofthebuildingshaveabaywindow.Ontheinside,thesearealmostcertainlyfilledwithcushionsandblankets,providingthepeoplewholivetherewithacozyplacetositandrelaxafteralongday.

Yourhyggekrogdoesnotneedtobebythewindow,however,eventhoughthatisreallyhyggeligt.Itcouldbeapartofaroom.Justaddsomecushionsor something else that feels nice to sit on, have soft lighting, maybe ablanket, and youwill have your own hyggekrog, where you can enjoy agood book and something to drink. To furnish hyggeligt is a big deal inDenmark. Some real estate agents even use ahyggekrog as away to sellhouses.

Ourloveofsmallspacesmay,ifwelookbackintime,gobacktowhenwelivedincavesanditwasimportanttopayattentiontoyourenvironmentinorder to protect yourself and your group against dangerous animals andother threats. Living in small spaces was preferable, since the warmthgeneratedbytheinhabitants’bodiesdidnotdisappearasfastasitwouldina larger one; in addition, small spaces were great places to hide frompredators.Today,oneofthereasonsweliketositinahyggekrogcouldbethat itmakesusfeelsafe;overlookinganotherroomor thestreetgivesustheadvantageofspottinganypotentialthreat.Wefeelrelaxedwhenwe’reinahyggekrog.Wefeelthatwehavecontroloveroursituationanddonotfeelexposedtotheunpredictable.

2.AFIREPLACE

Iwas a fortunate child.My childhoodhomehad an open fireplaceand awood-burningstove.Asakid,myfavoritechorewastostackthefirewoodandlightthefire.IamsureIamnottheonlyone.AccordingtotheDanishMinistry for the Environment, there are around 750,000 fireplaces andwood-firedstovesinDenmark.Withalittleover2.5millionhomesinthecountry, thatmeansthat threeoutof tenhomesinDenmarkhaveahygge

advantage.Incomparison,aroundamillionhomesintheUnitedKingdomhave installedawoodstove,butwitha totalof28millionBritishhomes,that’sonlyaroundoneintwenty-eight.

Inthisregard,theUSiswell-positionedforhyggetoday.AccordingtotheNationalAssociationofHomeBuilders,60percentofnewhomeshaveatleastonefireplace,comparedwithathirdofhomesbuiltfortyyearsago.Itisalsooneofthefavoriteamenitiesforpotentialbuyers.

So what’s the reason for the Danish obsession with burning logs? You’veprobablyalreadyguessedtheanswertothisone,butsurelyitcan’tonlybeabouthygge?Well,accordingtoastudyconductedbytheUniversityofAarhus,thatistrue: Danes have wood-burning stoves because they are considered a cheapheatingoption,but this isonlythesecondbiggestreasonforhavingone.Onceagain,it’smostlyabouthygge.Sixty-sixpercentofallrespondentsinthestudyspecifically addressedhygge as themost important reason for having awood-burning stove.And if you askDanes, 70percentwill agree that fireplaces arehyggelig.Onerespondenttothesurveyevencalledfireplacesthemosthyggeligpieceofappliedartevermade.

It isfair tosaythatafireplacemayjustbetheultimateheadquartersofhygge.It’ssomewherewesitbyourselvestorestwhileexperiencingultimatefeelingsofcozinessandwarmth,andit’ssomewherewespendtimewithourdearonestointensifyourfeelingoftogetherness.

3.CANDLES

No candles, no hygge. If this is a surprise to you, you need to revisit

Chapter1.

4.THINGSMADEOUTOFWOOD

Maybewehankerafterourroots,butthereisjustsomethingaboutwoodenthings.The smellofburningwood froma fireplace,orevenamatch, thesmoothfeelingofawoodenbureau,thesoftcreakofawoodenfloorasyoutrip across it tohavea seat in thewoodenchairby thewindow.Woodenchildren’stoyshavebecomepopularagain,afteryearsofplastictoys.KayBojesen’swoodenmonkeyisanexcellentexampleofthis.Woodmakesusfeelclosertonature;itissimpleandnatural,justliketheconceptofhygge.

5.NATURE

Woodisnotenough.Danesfeel theneed tobring theentire forest inside.Any piece of nature youmight find is likely to get the hygge greenlight.Leaves, nuts, twigs, animal skins . . . Basically, youwant to think:Howwould aViking squirrel furnish a living room?Be sure to smother thosebenches,chairs,andwindowsillsinsheepskintogivethemanextralayerofhygge. You may alternate between sheep and reindeer, while keepingcowhides for the floor.With theDanes’ loveof candles andwooden andotherflammablethings,itisnosurprisethatCopenhagenhasbeenburnedtothegroundonseveraloccasions.Makesurefireprecautionsaretaken.

6.BOOKS

Whodoesnot likea shelf filledwith thickbooks?Takingabreakwithagood book is a cornerstone in the concept of hygge. The genre does notmatter—romance,sci-fi,cookbooks,orevenhorrorstoriesarewelcomeontheshelves.Allbooksarehyggelig,butclassicswrittenbyauthorssuchasJaneAusten, Charlotte Brontë, Leo Tolstoy, andCharlesDickens have aspecialplaceonthebookshelf.Attherightage,yourkidsmayalsolovetocuddleupwithyouinthehyggekrogandhaveyoureadtothem.ProbablynotTolstoy,though.

7.CERAMICS

Aniceteapot,avaseonthediningtable,thatfavoritemugyoualwayswantto drink out of—they are all hyggelige. Two of the most iconic DanishceramicsareKähler,whichgoesbackmorethan175yearsandmadeabigimpressionattheUniversalExpositioninParisin1889—theyeartheEiffelTower was inaugurated—and of course Royal Copenhagen, founded in1775undertheprotectionofQueenJulianeMarie,whichhashadarevivalinpopularityinrecentyearswiththeBlueFlutedMegarange.

8.THINKTACTILE

Asyoumayhavediscoveredbynow,ahyggelig interior isnot justabouthow things look, it is just as much about how things feel. Letting yourfingersrunacrossawoodentable,overawarmceramiccup,orthroughthehairsoftheskinofareindeerisadistinctlydifferentfeelingfrombeingincontactwithsomethingmadefromsteel,glass,orplastic.Thinkaboutthewayobjectsfeeltoyourtouchandaddavarietyoftexturestoyourhome.

9.VINTAGE

Vintage is a big deal in Danish homes, and you can find pretty muchanything in a vintage or antiques shop. Often, the challenge is to finddiamonds among a lot of coal.Anold lamp, table, or chair is consideredreallyhyggeligt.Onecanfindeverythingoneneedstocreatealovelyhomeinavintagestore,andthefactthatallthethingstherehaveahistorymakesthemevenmoreinterestingandhyggelig.

Withmanyoftheseitems,narrativesandnostalgiacomeintoplay.Objectsaremorethantheirphysicalproperties;theyholdanemotionalvalueandastory. I think my favorite pieces of furniture in my apartment are twofootstools. My uncle and I made them together. I am sure I could findsomethingsimilarintheshopsaroundCopenhagen,butnothingthatwouldmeanthesametome.WhenIlookatthem,Irememberthatafternoontenyears ago when we carved them out of a branch of a hundred-year-oldwalnut tree. That is hygge. They allow you to sit comfortablywith yourlegs up, plus they’re made of wood and hold nostalgic value. They are,essentially,theKindereggofhygge.

10.BLANKETSANDCUSHIONS

Blanketsandcushionsaremust-haves inanyhyggehousehold, especiallyduring the cold months of winter. To snuggle up with a blanket is veryhyggeligt,andsometimesonedoes iteven thoughone isnot feelingcold,simplybecauseitiscozy.Blanketscanbemadeoutoffabricssuchaswoolorfleece,whicharewarmer,orcottonforalighterfeeling.

Large or small, cushions are also hygge essentials. What is better thanleaningyourheadagainstanicecushionwhilereadingyourfavoritebook?

Atthispoint,youarewelcometogoFreudianontheDanesandpointoutthat hygge seems to be about comfort food and security blankets. Andperhapsyouareright.Hyggeisaboutgivingyourresponsible,stressed-outachieveradultabreak.Relax.Justforalittlewhile.Itisaboutexperiencinghappiness in simplepleasuresandknowing that everything isgoing tobeokay.

HYGGEEMERGENCYKIT

Youmayalsoconsiderbuildingahyggeemergencykit,storedupforthoseeveningswhenyouarelowonenergy,havenoplans,don’tfeellikegoingout,andareinthemoodforsomequalitytimealone.

Have a box, cupboard or suitcase filledwith hygge essentials. The list belowmightgiveyouinspirationastowhatyouputinit,butofcourseitiscompletelyuptoyoutodecideanddiscoverwhatyouneedforafasttracktohygge.

1.CANDLES

2.SOMEGOOD-QUALITYCHOCOLATEWhynotvisit theclosestchocolatierandbringhomea littleboxofhigh-qualitychocolate?Itdoesn’thavetobeexpensive,justalittletreattosavoreverynowandthen.Ifyouarelikeme,makeacontractwithyourselfthatyou can have one piece per day or per week;—otherwise it tends todisappearratherquickly.Havingitasaweeklyordailyritualwillgiveyoualittlepleasuretolookforwardtoeachday.

3.YOURFAVORITETEA(Mineiscurrentlyrooibos).

4.YOURFAVORITEBOOK

Whatbookmakesyouforgettheworldanddisappearinbetweenthepages?Findoutandput it in theemergencykit for thosehyggeevenings. Ifyouhave a job likemine, where you need to read a lot of stuff and quicklyabsorb thekeypoints,youmay tend to rush through thepageswhenyoufinallypickupfiction.WearetemptedtoturnimmediatelytothelastpageoftheJohnleCarréspynovel:“Ah,whatdoyouknow?Hewasadoubleagentallalong.”Remember:thisisadifferentkindofreading.Readslowlyandseethestoryplayout.Mygo-tobookisAFarewelltoArmsbyErnestHemingway.

5.YOURFAVORITEFILMORTVSERIESMineisMatador(Monopoly),aDanishdramashotalmostfortyyearsago,portrayinglifeinasmalltowninDenmarkfromtheGreatDepressionandthroughtheNazioccupationofDenmark.Theserieshasbecomepartofthemodernself-understandingofDanes,andmostDanishpeoplewillknowatleastafewofthelines.

6.JAMThereissomethinghyggeligtaboutjam,especiallyifyouorsomeoneyouknowhasmadeit.Sospendthesummerconservingthefruit.Yourhyggekitwillthankyouforit.

7.AGOODPAIROFWOOLENSOCKS

8.ASELECTIONOFYOURFAVORITELETTERSThespokenwordceasestoexistthemomentitisborn,butwiththewrittenlanguage we are able to hear words from centuries ago or the words ofloved ones far away.Rereading old letters is ahyggeligway of relaxing,rememberingandreconnecting.

Thereissomethingmorehyggeligtaboutaletteronpaperthanaletteronascreen. If you grew up in the last century, as I did, you’ll have thosehandwrittenletterssafelystoredaway,butletterswrittenintheInternetagemaybeprintedandstoredaswell.

9.AWARMSWEATER

10.ANOTEBOOK

10.ANOTEBOOKKeepanicenotebookinyourhyggeemergencykit.Wemaycallthisyourhygge journal. The first exercise is to note down some of the mosthyggeligemomentsyouhaveexperienced in thepastmonthoryear.Thiswill allow you to enjoy them again and make you mindful of whichexperiences you enjoyed. For the second exercise, think of what kind ofhyggeligeexperiencesyouwouldliketohaveinthefuture.Abucketlistofhygge,ifyouwill.

11.ANICEBLANKET

12.PAPERANDAPENItwasniceandhyggeligttoreadthoseoldletters,wasn’tit?Whynotreturnthe favor?Take the time towrite a handwritten letter. Think of someonewhoyouaregratefultohaveinyourlifeandwritetothemtotellthemwhy.

13.MUSIC

Vinyl would be considered more hyggelig than digital, but services likeiTunes and Spotify allow you to create a hygge playlist that’s up andrunning.Iwouldgoforsomethingslow.Lately,I’vebeenlisteningalottoGregoryAlanIsakovandCharlesBradley,butyoumaywanttogowiththeDanishartistAgnesObel.

14.APHOTOALBUM

Youknowall thosephotosyouuploadedonFacebook?Whynot select ahundred of your favorite pictures and have them printed? An album ofprintedphotosismuchmorehyggeligtobrowsethroughonastormynightwithamugoftea.

CHAPTERSEVEN

HYGGEOUTSIDETHEHOME

THEHYGGEDRIVERS

As a scientist, my work often involves looking for patterns in theevidence. So, if we look at cases of hyggelige, we also find somecommondenominators for thesemomentsofhygge. (I thinkwehavealreadycoveredfoodandcandlesextensivelyenough,sowewillleavetheseoutfornow.)

COMPANY

Youcanhyggebyyourself.SnugglingupunderablanketwithyourfavoriteTVshow on a rainy Sunday afternoon is hyggeligt; having a glass of red winewatchinga thunderstormishyggeligt too,orsimply justsittingby thewindowwatchingtheworldgoby.

But the most hyggelige moments seem to happen in the company of otherpeople.Afewyearsago,mydadandhistwobrothersturnedtwohundredyearscombined,sotheyrentedabigsummercabinonthewestcoastofDenmarkandinvitedthewholefamily.Thecabinwassurroundedbysanddunesandwassetinarough,ruggedlandscapewherethewindalwaysblowsharshly.Wespentaweekend theredoingnothingbut eating, drinking, talking, andwalkingon thebeach.IthinkthatwasthemosthyggeligweekendIspentallyear.

CASUALNESSMosthyggeligemomentsseemtobebuiltonafoundationofcasualness.Inorderforyouandyourgueststobeabletohygge,youneedtofeelrelaxed.Thereisnoneedtomakethingsformal.Comeasyouareandbeasyouare.

WhenIwasinmytwenties,I tookpart intheharvestofgrapesoneautumninChampagne.Acoupleofyearsago,Iwasvisitingtheregionwiththreefriends

andwedecidedtostopbytheMarquettevineyardwhereIhadworked.WemetGlennie,theladyofthehouse,andherson,whowasbynowafullygrownman,andspentahyggeligafternoonatthevineyardandintherusticcountrykitchen,withitslowceilingandflagstones,drinkingwineatoneofthelongtables.Themoodoftheeveningwasrelaxedandcasual;despitethefactthatIhadn’tseenGlennieandhersonforanumberofyears,therewasnoneedforanyformality.

CLOSENESSTONATUREWhetheryouaresittingbyariverinSwedenorinavineyardinFrance,orjustinyourgardenornearbypark,beingsurroundedbynatureenablesyoutobringyourguarddownandaddsacertainsimplicity.

Whenweareclosetonature,wearenotengulfedinentertainingelectronicsorjugglingabroadspectrumofoptions.Therearenoluxuriesorextravagance,justgoodcompanyandgoodconversation.Simple, slow, rusticelementsarea fasttracktohygge.

OnesummerIwentcampingwithagroupoffriendsalongtheNissanRiverinSweden.Wewereroastingchickensoverthefire,andtheywereslowlyturningniceandgolden. In thefire,youcouldhear thesizzlingof thebakingpotatoeswrappedinfoil.Wehadpaddledafairdistanceinthecanoesthatday,andnowdarknesswasfalling.Thefirelitupthetreessurroundingourcampwithwarmcolors,butdespitethelightfromthefire,youcouldstillseethestarsthroughthetreetops.Aswewaitedfor thegoldenchickens tobe ready,wedrankwhiskeyoutofcoffeemugs.Weweresilent,tired,andhappy,anditwaspurehygge.

BEINGINTHEPRESENTMOMENT

Thereisanelementofbeingpresentinthosemoments.Hyggeischargedwithastrong orientation and commitment toward experiencing and savoring thepresentmoment.

Onthatcampingtrip,therewasnowhereelseweneededtobe.Wewereoff-line.Nophone.Noe-mail.Wewere surroundedbynature andgoodcompany, andwereabletofullyrelaxandtakeinthemoment.

Everysummer Igosailingwithoneofmybest friendsandhisdad.Therearefew things Ienjoymore thanstandingat thehelmunder fullwhite sailsandabluesky, listening to themusicblasting frombelowdeck.Themosthyggeligemomentsonthesetripsarewhenwearedockedatthevariousharborswevisit.Aftereverydinnerwesittogetherandwatchthesunsetfromthedeck,whilewelistentothewindintheriggingoftheshipsintheharborandsipourpost-dinnerIrishcoffee.Thatishygge.

Creatinghyggemomentsmaybebestachievedbyusingsomeof theelementsmentionedabove.Sometimesyoumaybeable toget all the ingredients in thepot.Forme,thathappensinsummercabins.Inmanyways,lifeinacabinoffersall of the above, and all my favorite childhood memories gravitate toward asmallsummercabinmyfamilyownedjustsixmilesoutsidethecity,wherewewould live fromMay toSeptember.At that timeofyear,wheneven thenightknowsnodarkness,mybrotherandIwouldenjoyendlessdaysofsummer.Wewouldclimbtrees,catchfish,playfootball,ridebicycles,exploretunnels,sleepin treehouses,hideunderboatson thebeach,builddamsand forts, playwithbowsandarrows,andsearchtheforestforberriesandhiddenNazigold.

Thecabinwasathirdofthesizeofourhouseinthecity,thefurniturewasold,and theTVwasblack andwhite andhada fourteen-inch screen andamoodyantenna.But thiswas theplacewherewehad themosthygge. Inmanyways,thesewerethehappiesttimes,andthemosthyggelige.Ithinkitmaybebecause,inmanyways, cabins include all thedrivers of hygge: the smells, the sounds,andthesimplicity.Whenyoustayinone,thereisacloserconnectiontonatureandtoeachother.Acabinforcesyoutolivemoresimplyandslowly.Togetout.Togettogether.Toenjoythemoment.

HYGGEDURINGOFFICEHOURS

However,hygge isnot restricted tocozycabins, Irishcoffeeson thedeck,orsnugglingupinyourhyggekrogathomeinfrontofthefire.Danesbelievethathyggecan—andshould—happenattheoffice.

Exhibit A in this theory is, of course, the cake discussed in chapter 4. Inaddition,accordingtoasurveyonhyggeconductedbytheHappinessResearchInstitute,thereistheevidencethat78percentofDanessaythatworkshouldbehyggeligt,too.

So, how do youmake office hoursmore hyggeligt?Well, cakes and candles,obviously.Butthisisjustthestart.Thinkofwaystomakethingsmorecasual,cozy,andegalitarian.Herearefiveideastogetthehyggegoingattheoffice.

1.ORGANIZEAPOTLUCKFRIDAY.

Insteadofbringing lunch just foryourself,whynotorganizepotlucks forlunchonedayoftheweek?Wheneverybodyshares,everybodygetshygge.

2.SETUPANOFFICEGARDEN.

If the office or the surroundings allow it, you can add to the hygge byplanting a few plants. Spending a fewminutes each day tending to themmay be a nice way to manage stress. Extra hygge points if you growproducethatcanbeenjoyedatlunch.

3.BRINGYOURDOGTOWORK.

A few years ago, Michael, one of my interns had to take care of hismother’sdog,Leica,forafewweeksandaskedwhetherhecouldbringherto the office. Best weeks ever. Having Leica at the office definitelyincreased the hygge and office joy. I made a deal withmyself that afteraccomplishing an item on my to-do list, I could go and pet Leica. Myproductivitywentthroughtheroof.

4.TRYTOMAKETHEOFFICEMOREHOMEY.

Couldweputinacoupleofcouchesforpeopletousewhentheyhavelongreportstoreadorneedtoholdaquickandinformalmeeting?Idoalotofinterviewsbecauseofmyworkand Iprefer sittingon thecouchwith thejournalistandhavingagoodconversationwiththem,insteadofthetwoofusfacingeachotheracrossafancytableinasterileofficesetting.

5.HYGGECUBICLELIFE.

Maybeyoucan’tchangetheoffice,butwhataboutyourdesk?Couldyouaddsomeplants,havesomehyggesocksinthedrawerforworkinginthelate evenings?Orgoall theway, thinkofyour cubicle as theBatcaveof

hyggeandbethesecrethyggeheroattheoffice.Theonethatleavesanicepieceofchocolateatyourcolleagues’deskswhiletheyareatlunch.

CHAPTEREIGHT

HYGGEALLYEARROUND

NOTJUSTFORCHRISTMAS

InDenmark, apopular sayinggoes“There is nobadweather, onlybadclothing.”But,frankly,therearenotalotofgreatthingstosayabouttheweatherinDenmark.

Some describe the Danish weather as dark, windy, and damp; some sayDenmarkhastwowinters,onegrayandonegreen.

Withthiskindofweather,itwillcomeasnosurprisethatDanesspendmostof

theirtimeindoorsinthewintermonths.

Insummertime,mostDanesspendasmuchtimeaspossibleoutside,desperatelyhoping to enjoy some sun, but in the months from November to March, theweatherforcesDanestostayindoors.AsDanesdonothavetheopportunitytoenjoywinter activities in their own country, as in Sweden andNorway, or tospendtimeoutdoorsinthewinterperiod,asinsouthernEurope,allDaneshavelefttodoishyggeathome.Asaresult,thehighseasonforhyggeisautumnandwinter, according to a study on hygge conducted by the Happiness ResearchInstitute.

Hereisaselectionofideasforhowtohyggethroughouttheyear.

JANUARY:MOVIENIGHT

ThemonthofJanuaryistheperfecttimetorelaxwithfriendsandfamilywithacasualmovienight.Leteachpersonbringsnackstoshare,andpickoutoneoftheoldclassics,onethatyou’veallseen,soitdoesn’tmattertoomuchifpeoplechatabitduringthefilm.

Anentertaining add-on tomovienight is to comeupwith the shortestwayofexplainingtheplotofthegivenmovie.ThisturnsTheLordoftheRingstrilogyinto“Groupspendsninehoursreturningjewelry”andForrestGumpinto“Drug-addictedgirltakesadvantageofmentallychallengedboyfordecades.”

FEBRUARY:SKITRIP

If you have the opportunity, organize your friends and family to head to themountainsat this timeof theyear.Yes, theviewin themountains isstunning,thespeedontheslopesisexhilarating,andthepurityoftheairisamazing—butthebestpartoftheskitripisthehygge.Themagichappenswhenyouandyourcrewgetbacktoyourcabin,tiredfromtheslopes,dirty,andmessy-haired,andrelaxwithcoffeeinsharedsilence.RemembertopacktheGrandMarnier!

MARCH:THEMEMONTH

If you and your family are going somewhere on vacation in the summer thismight be away to get a jumpon the hygge. If you are going toSpain, spendMarchexploring thecountryfromafar.By“exploring,” ImeanwatchSpanishmovies, make tapas, and if you have kids, maybe spend one evening puttingPost-itsonthechairs(sillas),table(mesa),plates(platos)inSpanish,soyoucangetaheadstartwiththelanguage.Ifyouarenotgoingonvacationthisyear,youcaneithertakethethemefromacountryyouhavebeentopreviously(getthosephotoalbumsout)orpickyourdreamdestination.Ifyoucan’tgotothecountry,bringthecountryhometoyou.

APRIL:HIKINGANDCOOKINGOVERANOPENFIRE

Aprilcanbeawonderfulmonth togohiking,camping,orcanoeing.Weather-wise, itmaybeabitbrisk, so remember topack thosewoolensocks (theyareextrahyggelige),butthemonthoffersbenefitsintermsoffewermosquitoes.Ifyouareacitydwellerlikeme,itisnaturaltopanicinthefirsthoursofahike,thinking, “What the hellwillwe do out herewithoutWi-Fi?”However, onceyouovercomethis,yourheartrateandstresslevelswilldrop.HikingisanEasteregg of hygge, as it includes slowness, rusticity, and togetherness. Gather thewood,build the fire, prepare the food, andwatch it cook slowlyover the fire,thenenjoytheafter-dinnerwhiskeywithyourfriendsunderthestars.

Remember to pack the chocolate eggs for the kids if you are heading out forEaster.

MAY:WEEKENDCABIN

The days are getting longer, andMay is the time to start making use of thecountryside.Oneofyourfriendsmighthaveaccesstoacabin,oryoumayfindacheaprental—themorerusticthecabin,themorehygge.Afireplaceisabonus.

Besuretopackboardgamesforrainyafternoons.AweekendinMaymightalsopresent the first opportunity of the year for a barbecue. In terms of summerhygge,nothingbeatsstandingaroundthegrillwithabeerinyourhand.

JUNE: ELDERFLOWER CORDIAL AND THE SUMMERSOLSTICE

Early June is the perfect time to harvest elderflowers to make cordial orlemonade.

StJohn’sEvefallsonJune23,andonthateveningDanescelebratethesummersolstice.Thisismyfavoritetradition.InDenmark,thesuninJunesetscloseto11p.m. on a night that never lets go of the light completely.As the sun sets,there is a bittersweet acknowledgment that, from tomorrow, we will start theslowdescentintodarknessasthedaysshorten.Thisistheperfecteveningforapicnic.Grab your friends and family and light a bonfire. (They are usually litrelativelylatebecauseofthelight,soifyouneedtoentertainthekidsduringthewait,thisisagreateveningforanegg-and-spoonrace.)

ELDERFLOWERCORDIAL

Whetheryoudrinkitcoldonahotsummerdayorwarmduringwinter,thiselderflowercordialwillhavethesmellofsummer.Andnotonlywhenyoudrinkit:tomakethecordialyouhavetoleavetheflowersandthelemonsinapanfortwenty-fourhours,soyourwholehousewillsmellofsummerhygge.Justone

whiffimmediatelytransportsmebacktomychildhoodsummers.

For10½cupsofelderflowerlemonade,serves10–12

30elderflowerclusters

3largelemons

6cupswater

8cupssugar

1.Washelderflowerclusterswellandplacetheminalargebowl.

2.Scrubthelemonsunderhotwater,slicethem,andaddthemtotheclustersinthebowl.

3.Bringthewatertoaboilandaddthesugar.

4.Pourthehotwaterintothebowlcontainingtheelderflowerclustersandlemonslices.

5.Coverthebowlwithalidandletthelemonaderestforthreedays.

6.Straintheliquidandpouritintobottles.Storeinthefridge.

JULY:SUMMERPICNIC

JulyiswhenDanesreallylovetogetoutandenjoynature.Theweatheriswarmandtheeveningsarestilllong.Thisistheperfecttimeofyearforapicnicbythesea,inameadow,orinapark.Thechoiceisyours,butgetoutoftown.Inviteyourfamily,friends,neighbors,orthepeoplewhojustmovedindownthestreet.Make it a potluck event, so everybody brings a dish or two to share. Potluckdinnersareusuallymorehyggelig,because theyaremoreegalitarian.Theyareaboutsharingfoodandsharingtheresponsibilityandchores.

AUGUST:THEPERSEIDMETEORSHOWER

Bringblanketsforanightunderthestars.Whilethelightnightsatthistimeofyearmay not be the best in which to watch stars, the Perseidmeteor showeroccursinmid-August,usuallyreachingpeakactivityaroundtheeleventhtothethirteenth.LooknortheastforthePerseusconstellation,whichhasAndromedatotheeastandCassiopeiatothenorth.Ifyouhavekids,thisisagreattimetobringabookofstoriesfromGreekmythologytoreadwhileyouwaitfortheshootingstars.

For people in the southern hemisphere, the Eta Aquarid meteor shower is anoption.ItusuallypeaksbetweenlateAprilandmid-May.

SEPTEMBER:MUSHROOMFORAGING

Mushroomsappearmainlyintheautumnbutcanbefoundfromlatesummeron.Thereisnobettertastethanfoodyouhavegrown,caught,orforagedyourself—andithasahighhyggefactor.Bringfamilyandfriendsforaforageexcursiontotheforest.

WARNING: Eating the wrong sort of mushrooms can be deadly, so find anexperiencedmushroomforagerandaskthemtocomealongonaforage.Manycommunitiesorganizegrouptours.

OCTOBER:CHESTNUTS

It ischestnutseason. Ifyouhavekids, take themchestnuthuntinganduse the

chestnutstomakeanimalfigurines.

Fortheadults,buyediblechestnuts,makeacrosswithaknifeinthepointyend,androastthemintheovenat200degreesforaboutthirtyminutes,untiltheskinsopenandtheinsidesaretender.Peeloffthetoughoutsideskinandaddabitofbutterandsalt.

Ifyoujustwantqualityhyggetimebyyourself,pickupsomemandarins,roastedchestnuts, and a copy ofAMoveableFeast byHemingway. It is set in 1920sParis,whenHemingwaywasworkingasapennilesswriter.

NOVEMBER:SOUPCOOK-OFF

Winter iscoming.It is timetogetout theoldsouprecipesandfindnewones.Invite family and friends over for a soup cook-off. Each person bringsingredientsforasouptofeedoneperson.Taketurnspreparingsmalldishesofdifferent soups, enough for everyone to try. I usuallymake a pumpkin-gingersoup,whichworks reallywellwith a bit of crème fraîche. If youwant to dosomethingextraashost,bakesomehomemadebread.Thesmelloffreshlybakedbreadisdefinitelyhygge.

DECEMBER:GLØGGANDÆBLESKIVER(PANCAKEPUFFS)

Thisishyggehighseason.Theconsumptionofcandlesandconfectionerysoars,asdoBMIs.Thisisalsoprimetimeforgløgg(you’llfindtherecipeinChapter4). Start out well in advance by soaking those raisins in port and invite yourfriends and family over for an afternoon or evening of gløgg andæbleskiver(recipeinChapter11).

CHAPTERNINE

HYGGEONTHECHEAP

THEBESTTHINGSINLIFEAREFREE

There isnothing fancy, expensive,or luxuriousaboutapairofuglywoolen hygge socks—and that is a vital feature of the anatomy ofhygge.Champagneandoystersmaybemanythings,buthyggeisnotoneofthem.

Hyggeishumbleandslow.Itischoosingrusticovernew,simpleoverposhand

ambienceoverexcitement.Inmanyways,hyggemightbetheDanishcousintoslowandsimpleliving.

It is wearing your pajamas and watching Lord of the Rings the day beforeChristmas,itissittinginyourwindowwatchingtheweatherwhilesippingyourfavoritetea,anditislookingintothebonfireonsummersolsticesurroundedbyyourfriendsandfamilywhileyourtwistbreadslowlybakes.

Simplicityandmodestyarecentraltohygge,buttheyarealsoconsideredvirtueswhenitcomestoDanishdesignandculture.Simplicityandfunctionalityarethemain ingredients of Danish design classics, and the Danes’ love affair withmodesty means that bragging about your accomplishments and flashing yourRolexarenotonlyfrowneduponandconsideredpoortaste,butspoilthehygge.Inshort,themorebling,thelesshygge.

Consequently,youcanalsoplaythehyggecardasanexitstrategyifyouenterahigh-end restaurant you can’t afford. “Shouldn’t we find a place that ismorehyggeligt?” is a perfectly valid reason to find a cheaper establishment. NotNoma,though.Thatrestaurantisreallyhyggeligt.Ithastherightlighting.

Hyggeisaboutappreciatingthesimplepleasuresinlifeandcanbeachievedonashoestringbudget.Thepoemand song“TheHappyDayofSvante”byBennyAndersen is famous in Denmark. It’s all about savoring the moment andenjoying simple pleasures: “Look, real daylight soon. Red sun and waningmoon.Shetakesashowerforme.Mewhomit’sgoodtobe.Life’snotbad,forit’sallwehavegot.Andthecoffee’salmosthot.”

Okay, so Danes might be better at hygge than poetry, but one of the mostconsistentpatterns inhappiness research ishowlittledifferencemoneymakes.Ofcourse, ifyoucan’taffordtoeat,moneyisoftheutmostimportance,butifyou’renotbattlingpovertyorstrugglingtomakeendsmeet,anadditional$100permonthisnotgoingtomovetheneedlewhenitcomestohappiness.

This fitswellwith hygge.You cannot buy the right atmosphere or a sense oftogetherness.Youcannothyggeifyouareinahurryorstressedout,andtheartof creating intimacy cannot be bought by anything but time, interest, andengagementinthepeoplearoundyou.

Hyggecanandoftenwillbeabouteatingordrinking,butthemoreitcounteractsconsumption, the more hyggeligt it is. The more money and prestige isassociatedwithsomething,thelesshyggeligtitbecomes.Thesimplerandmoreprimitiveanactivityis,themorehyggeligt it is.Drinkingteaismorehyggeligtthandrinkingchampagne,playingboardgames ismorehyggeligt thanplayingcomputer games, and home-cooked food and biscuits aremorehyggeligt thanstore-boughtones.

In short, if youwant hygge, there is no amount ofmoney that you can spendwhichwill increase the hygge factor—at least not if you are buying anythingmore expensive than a candle. Hygge is an atmosphere that is not onlyunimproved by spending more money on it, but rather, in some ways, theopposite.

Hyggemaybebad fort capitalism,but itmayprove tobeverygood for yourpersonalhappiness.Hyggeisappreciatingthesimplepleasuresinlifeandcanbeachievedwithvery littlemoney.Hereare tenexampleshow thebesthygge inlifeisfree—oralmostso.

TENINEXPENSIVEHYGGEACTIVITIES

1.BRINGOUTTHEBOARDGAMES

We live in the age of Netflix, Candy Crush, and an endless supply ofelectronicentertainment.Wehangoutwithtechnologyinsteadofwitheachother.However, playing board games is still popular—in part because ofthe hygge. Every year, my friend Martin organizes the mother of boardgames: a game ofAxis&Allies. Set inWorldWar II, it is essentially acomplex version of the game Risk. The game usually lasts for aboutfourteenhours,andMartinusuallyleaveshisveryunderstandinggirlfriendinahotelforthenight.Wemaketheeveningintomorethansimplyplayingagame.There’llbeclassicalmusicon—mostlyWagnerandBeethoven—andsmokefromcigars fills the room,soyoucanbarelyseeourgroupofgrownmeninuniforms.Admittedly,wemaytakeittoanextremelevel,butwedoitforthehygge.

Butwhy are boardgameshygge?Well, first of all, it is a social activity.You play games together. You create commonmemories and strengthenbonds.AllofMartin’sfriendsstillrememberthemomentinthe2012gamewhentheAlliessuddenlyrealizedthatMoscowwouldfall.Inaddition,formanyofuswhogrewupwithMonopolyorTrivialPursuit, boardgamesare full of nostalgia and take us back to simpler times. There is also aslowness to the activity (especially if the game takes fourteen hours), atangibility,andanairofhygge.

2.PANTRYPARTY

This isoneofmyfavorites. Inviteyour friendsover toyourhouse foranafternoonoraneveningofcookingandhygge.Therulesaresimple.Everypersonbringsingredientstomakesomethingthatgoesinthepantry(orinthe fridge). Strawberry jam, sweet pickle relish, ketchup, chicken stock,limoncello,pumpkinsoup—younameit.Everybodyalsobringsjars,cans,bottles,or containers ina shape thatwill allow them to storeabountyofhomemade treats. The beauty of it is the diversity. Instead of having tenservings of pumpkin soup, you now have mango chutney, ginger beer,pickledchili,babaghanoush,aloafofsourdoughbread,plummarmalade,elderflowercordial,walnutaquavit,andraspberrysorbet.Yum.

3.TVNIGHT

One of my best friends and I always watchGame of Thrones together.Every two weeks or so, we watch two episodes. No more. I know it isborderlineAmishintheageofNetflixnottobinge-watchawholeseasonofyour favorite show once it is released, but this approach has someadvantages. First, it brings TV back to being something more sociable.Second,itallowsyoutolookforwardtosomethingonaregularbasis.SorestrainyourselffrombingeingandinvitefriendsoverforweeklyviewingsofaspecificTVshow.

4.CROQUET

Playingcroquetisagreatwayofhangingoutwithfamilyandfriends.Thegameis informalandslow,so itallowsforconversationat thesametimeandthereissomethingtowatchwhileyoutalk.Findthenearestparkorayard with a stretch of grass you can use as a croquet field, and bring

blanketsandapicnicbasket.

5.SETUPAMINI-LIBRARY

An inexpensive and sustainable way to make a shared space (in yourapartmentbuildingorneighborhood)alittlebitmorehyggeligtistobuildasmall library. Find a rustic dresser or some shelves and put them in thehallway or on the stairway landing (youmaywant to ask for permissionfirst). Put a handful or more of the books you have already read in thelibrary, but let your neighbors helpyou increase the selectionof titles byfollowing the principle of leaving a bookwhenever you take one. Beinggreetedwithadisplayofbookswhenyoucomeintoyourbuildingisamorehyggelig way of returning home. Also, it may encourage more hyggeinteractionamongthetenants.

6.MAKEAFIRE

Afireisdefinitelypartofthehyggeequationandsoistheslowpreparationofveryunfussyfood,butalsoinvolvedisthetogethernessaroundthefire,the fact that there isnoneed tokeep the conversationgoingbecauseyou

have thesoundof thefire.Nowthefirehasburneddownand theembersare ready.You have found a suitable straight stick and stripped the barkfromtheend.Wrapthebreadtightlyaroundthestickandplaceitovertheglowingembers.Peoplearegatheredinaclosecirclearoundthefirenow,movingaroundalittleasthesmokechangesdirection.Youreyeshurtfromthesmoke,yourhandhurtsfrombeingclosetothefire,andyourbreadisturning black on the outside yet remaining unbaked on the inside. But itdoesn’tgetanymorehyggeligthanthis.

7.OUTDOORMOVIES

Many cities offer outdoor film screenings during the summer. InCopenhagen,theytakeplaceduringAugust,asinJuneandJulyitissimplytoobrightintheeveningstoshowmovies.Thesoundisusuallydifficulttohear, you sit kindof uncomfortablyon theground,without back support,and thepeoplewhoweresmartenough tobringsmallchairs setupcampright in front of you and thus block some of your view of the screen.However,itisstilltotalhyggeligt.Ioftengowithacoupleoffriends.Wesetupcamp,eatsomefood,drinksomewine,talk,andwaitforthemovietostart.

8.SWAPPARTY

RememberthatlampyouhaveinyourbasementandhavebeenmeaningtoputoneBayfortwoyearsnow?Orthatextrablenderyouandyourpartnernowhavesinceyoudecidedtomoveintogether?Whynotgetridofitbyswappingitforsomethingthatyoudoneed—andhaveahyggeligeveningatthesametime?Invitefriendsandfamilyoverforaswapparty.Therules

are simple.Eachpersonbrings somethinghe or she doesn’t use anymorethat could be of value to someone else. Beyond being wallet-and eco-friendly, it is also a nice opportunity to cleanout yourwardrobe, kitchencabinet, basement, or wherever you store the things you never use.Furthermore,itmaybemoreconvenientandfuntoswapwithfriendsthanto spend a weekend pushing your junk at the flea market or posting alisting.

9.SLEDDING

In the wintertime, it is easy to feel stuck inside. And while it can behyggeligttorelaxwithyourbookandacupoftea,itisevenmorehyggeligtafter youhave spent a day in the snow.Sogather a groupof people andhead for the hills. If you have a beautiful wooden sleigh stashed in thebasement,great,butcheaperoptionsexist.Youcanuseasturdyplasticbagtosleighdownahill.Sleddingisfreeandfun.Bringawinterpicnicbasketwithteaormulledwineforafterward.Don’tdrinkandsled.

10.PLAY

Inmanyways,someoftheactivitiesabove,likesleddingandboardgames,fall into thesamecategory—play.Welovedthemwhenwewerekidsbutforsomereasonwestopdoing themwhenwebecomegrown-ups.Adultsarenotsupposedtoplay.Wearesupposedtostress,worry,andbetoobusydealing with life’s problems. But according to a study undertaken byPrincetonUniversityandledbyAlanKrueger,professorineconomicsandpublic affairs there, we are happiest when we are involved in engagingleisureactivities.

Oneofourissuesasadultsisthatwebecometoofocusedontheresultsofanactivity.Weworktoearnmoney.Wegotothegymtoloseweight.Wespendtimewithpeopletonetworkandfurtherourcareers.Whathappenedtodoing something just because it’s fun?Notice in the table that followshow social activities such as sports, hiking, partying, and playing withchildrenarethetopscorers.

CHAPTERTEN

HYGGETOUROFCOPENHAGEN

HYGGESAFARI

IfyoushouldvisitCopenhagen,youmightwanttovisitsomeofthesehyggeligeplaces.

NYHAVN(NEWHARBOR)

Thisusedtobeadodgypartoftownwithrowdysailorsand“ladiesofpleasure.”Today you can visit one of the many restaurants for a pickled herring andschnapps.Ifthatisnotyourthing,andiftheweatherisnice,dolikethelocalsandbuyafewbeersfromashop,haveaseatatthebulwark,andwatchthecitygoby.

LAGLACE

Diveintothecream.Remembertheimportanceofcakes?IftherewereaCaminodeSantiagoforcake,LaGlacewouldbetheSantiagodeCompostelaCathedral.La Glace was established in 1870 and is the oldest confectionery shop inDenmark.

TIVOLIGARDENS

The Tivoli Gardens were founded in 1843 and are a classic attraction inCopenhagen,wheremanycitizenspurchaseannualpassestothegardens.Whilemany people visit during the summer, the best time for hygge iswhenTivolidresses up for Christmas and New Year’s Eve (usually from mid-NovemberuntilJanuary).Thisisacelebrationoflight.Severalhundredthousandlightsturnthegardenintoamagicalplaceinthewinterdarkness,andyoucanenjoysomegløgg near one of the bonfires in the garden or get warm by the fireplace atNimbBar.

ROWBOATINCHRISTIANSHAVN

ROWBOATINCHRISTIANSHAVNChristianshavnispartofthecitycenterinCopenhagenbutitisseparatedfromthe rest of the center by the InnerHarbor. It is dominated by canals andmayremindyoualittleofAmsterdam.Thebestwaytoexperiencethispartoftownisbyrentingarowboatandrowingalongthecanals.Bringblankets,wine,andapicnicbasket.

GRÅBRØDRETORV

Beingsurroundedbytheoldhousesherewilltransportyoubackcenturies.Thishyggelige square gets its name from themonastery of theGreyBrothers (Gråbrødre),establishedin1238.Thereareplentyofcozyrestaurantsinthesquare.AtPederOxeyoucangetclassicalDanishsmørrebrødandenjoythefireplace.Evenoneofthehairdressingsalonshasafireplace(andaFrenchbulldog,whowillhappilysleeponyourlapwhileyouhaveyourhaircut).Totalhygge.Youmightalsobeluckyenoughtoseeafullpigroastatthesquare.

VÆRNEDAMSVEJ

AtVærnedamsvej,carszigzagbetweencyclistsandpedestrians.Thisshortstreetwillmakeyouslowdownandsmell theflowersandthecoffee.Florists,cafés,winebars,andinteriordesignshopsmakethisawonderfulplacetospendalazyandhyggeligafternoon.

ASMØRREBRØDPLACE

Smørrebrødmeans,literally,spreadbread.Itisanopensandwichonryebread.Danesarehugefansofryebread,soitisusuallyoneofthefirstthingstheymisswhentheyarelivingabroad.SomeexpatslivinginDenmarkwill,however,referto thebreadas thedevil’s sandals, as they reallydislike the taste and find thebread tough to chew. In all regards, smørrebrød is a truly Danish lunchexperience.Smørrebrødcanhaveanalmostlimitlessnumberoftoppings,fromherring to rawbeef,egg,andseafood,andsomehavecolorfulnames like“theveterinarian’snightfood.”Smørrebrødisusuallyservedwithbeerandschnapps.InCopenhagen, youwill findmany traditional smørrebrød places, and such alunchwillsurelygetthehyggegoing.

LIBRARYBAR

In thePlazaHotel,near thecentral trainstation,youwill find theLibraryBar,whichopenedin1914.Herearesofas,woodenpanels,leather-boundbooks,andreallyhyggeliglighting.Thebarfeatureslivemusicfromtimetotime,butonaquietnightitiswellsuitedfordeepconversation.IfyouvisitduringChristmas,youwillfindaChristmastreehangingupsidedownfromtheceiling.

CHAPTERELEVEN

CHRISTMAS

IT’STHEMOSTHYGGELIGTIMEOFYEAR

Formany people—Danes included—Christmas is a wonderful time.However,wonderful is far fromtheonlywordused todescribe it. IfyouaskpeopleofanynationalitytodescribeChristmasinoneword,adjectives like happy, cheerful, warm, and heartfeltwould probablysurface.Daneswouldagreewithalotofthese.But,theywouldobject,“themostfittingwordismissing.Youforgothyggelig!”

InDenmark,inonemonthoftheyear,thedaysaresoshortyouwillbeluckytocatchaglimpseof thesun.Ridingyourbiketoandfromworkinthecoldandwetandincompletedarkness,youbegintoquestionwhyanybodyeverthoughtthatsettlinginDenmarkwouldbeagoodidea.Yes,Iknow,inDenmarkitisnot–30degreesoutside,norarewetroubledwithhurricanesortsunamis.Butlivinghere,youdogetthesensethattheweathergodshavetakenacertaindislikingtotheDanes; that theywant us to feelmiserable and uncomfortable at least onemonthayear.

Asunlikelyasitsounds,thisistheseasonofhyggeinDenmark.Danessimplywillnotlettheweatherorthelawsofnaturedefinetheiremotionalwell-being.Therefore,insteadofgoingintohibernation—whichdoesindeedseemappealingondampDecembermornings—Daneshavedecidedtomakethebestofthings.

Eventhoughitispossibletohyggeallyearround,onlyonceayearishyggethe

ultimategoalofanentiremonth.Withoutachievinghygge,aDane’stoilfortheChristmas project is redundant. Chestnuts, a fireplace, friends, and familycomingtogetheraroundatableofdelicioustreats;decorationsofred,green,andgold; thefreshscentofpinefromtheChristmas tree;carolseverybodyknows;and thebroadcastingof thevery sameTVshowsas lastyear—andeveryyearbeforethat—thesearefeaturesofafairlyordinaryChristmasallovertheworld.FromDallas to Durban, people sing along to the words of “Last Christmas.”FromDublin toDubai,peopleknowtheplotofAChristmasCarol.This isnolesstrueinDenmark.

Indeed, there are Christmas traditions which are specifically Danish, but aDanish Christmas is not considerably different from a German, French, orBritishoneintermsofactivitiesortraditions.

WhatisdifferentinDenmark,though,isthataDanishChristmaswillalwaysbeplanned, thought of, and evaluated in relation to the concept of hygge.At noother time of the year will you hear Danes mentioning hygge as much. It isliterallymentionedatanygivenopportunity.And,ofcourse,Danishincludesacompoundword,julehygge(Christmashygge),whichisbothanadjectiveandaverb.“Doyouwanttocomeoverforsomejulehygge?”

In the pages that follow, I will try to outline a recipe for a proper hyggeligChristmas—a perfect Danish Christmas—which is in itself a daunting task.DanesholdtheirChristmasdear,andIamsurealotofDaneswilldisagreewiththeelementsofChristmasIamgoingtomention.However,mostwillprobablyrecognizemorethanoneelementfromtheirowntraditions.

FAMILYANDFRIENDS

Every year in the second half of December, a full-blownmigrationtakes place in Denmark. People originally from other parts ofDenmarkwhousuallyliveinCopenhagenpacktheirstuff,plustonsofpresents,andjumponatrainheadedtowardtheirhometown.

Ahyggelig Christmas begins and endswith family and friends. Those are thepeoplewefeelsafearound,theoneswhomakeusfeelcomfortable.Theyknowus,andweenjoyspendingtimewiththembecausewelovethem.Timeandtimeagain, thequalityofour social relationshasbeen shown tobeoneof thebestpredictorsforouremotionalwell-being.

In our everyday lives, many of us feel we see too little of our loved ones.Christmasisanopportunitytomakeupforthat;togatheraroundatablefullofdelicioustreatsinordertoenjoylifeandoneanother’scompany.ThatisthekeyingredientinahyggeligChristmas.Peopleallovertheworlddotheverysameeachyear,butonly inDanishhomesdopeopledrawacollectivesighofreliefwhensomeonereassurestheothersthat“Thisishyggeligt.”Inthatmoment,bothhostsandguests feel thatChristmashasarrived; theproperspiritofhyggehasbeenachieved.

But family is not enough in order to put together ahyggelig Christmas. Eventhoughalotofpeopleseefriendsandfamilymostlyduringtheholidays,thiscanbedoneallyearround.

TRADITIONS

FOOD

AroundChristmastime,certainritualsandtraditionsmustbeadheredtoinordertoachievehygge.ADanishChristmasneeds theproperdecorations, food,andactivitiesinordertobeconsidereda“real”hyggeligChristmas.

First, there is the food. Danish food. Heavy Danish food. If you search the

Internetforlongenough,Iamconvincedyouwillfinddietsthatincludealmosteverything.Therearedietswhereyoueatonlymeatoronlyfat,waterdiets,dietswithlotsofcarbsanddietswithoutany.Therearedietsofvegetablesandevendietsofsunlight.Nonetheless,IhaveyettocomeacrossadietthatwouldacceptDanishChristmasfood.

Themainprotagonist in theChristmasmenu is themeat,which is either roastpork or duck—often both. It will be accompanied by boiled potatoes, orcaramelized potatoes, stewed sweet-and-sour red cabbage, gravy, and pickledgherkins. Some have cream-stewed cabbage, sausages, and various types ofbread,too.

Tocompletethefeast,wehaveatrulyDanishinvention:risalamande(itcomesfrom theFrench ris à l’amande, and thismakes it sound fancier) is half part-whippedcream,halfpart-boiled rice,with finelychoppedalmondsand toppedwith hot cherry sauce. Eating risalamande is not just a delicious experience,though.Itisverymuchsocial.Becausehiddeninthebigbowlofdessertisonewholealmond.

Usually, when everybody has been served a bowl of risalamande, a silencespreadsacrosstheroom.Eyesshiftfrompersontoperson.ItismoresimilartoapokergameoraWestern-styleshootoutthanaChristmastradition.“Who’sgotthe almond?” Whoever finds it gets a present and will be the subject ofcommentsaboutalwaysbeing lucky (and, somehow itdoesactually seem thatsomepeoplearebetteratgettingthealmondthanothers).

Soon the silence is replaced by questions: “You’ve got the almond, haven’tyou?,”“You’rehidingit,justlikelastyear,aren’tyou?”Theaimoftheonewhohasfoundthealmondistohideitanddenyhavingfounditinordertoluretheothersintoeatingeverythingintheirbowl:itbecomesakindofpervertedeatingcontest. Around Christmastime, eating a dessert turns into a hyggelig socialactivity in itself. Do you think it sounds delicious? You should taste it.Fortunatelyforourbodies,weonlygettofeastonthesedishesonceayear.

DECORATIONSNohyggeligChristmas iscompletewithout theproperdecorations.Thesemayvaryevenmorethanthefood,aseveryfamilyhasinheriteditsowndecorationsfromparentsandgrandparents.Buttheymayincludefiguresofnisse(anelforgnome), animals, and Father Christmas, mini-nativity figures and cornets orwovenheartsmadeofglossypaper.

Woven paper hearts are rarely seen outside Denmark. Their origin has beenattributed to Hans Christian Andersen, who was a master at paper cuttings.They’remadeoutoftwodouble-layeredcutoutsofglossypaper,andtheflapsofthe two cutouts are woven together to make the heart shape. They come invariouscolorsandhavedifferentmotifs,andeveryDaneknowshowtocraftatleastasimpleone.(Seethesection“HowtoMakeWovenHearts”laterinthischapter.)

Thentherearecandles(ofcourse).When100percentofthetimespentathomein December is during the hours of darkness, you need various sources oflighting, and candles are hyggelige. A specificDanish version of a Christmascandle is the advent candle, painted like a tape measure with dates fromDecember1toDecember24.

Each day the corresponding piece of candle is burned away. However, fewpeople light thecalendarcandlewhentheyareontheirown.Rather, it isdoneeitherinthemorning,whenparentsarefranticallytryingtogeteverybodyreadyforschoolandwork,orintheevening,whendarknesshasspreadagainandthefamily is assembled around the dinner table.The calendar light is literally thecenterpiece of the family. It constitutes a natural point and time marker toassemblearound.Andbesides, it feeds theDanes’ fetish for thecountdown toChristmas.

COUNTDOWNTOHYGGE

The advent candle is not the only way Danes count down to theultimate hygge day of the year. Danish children have adventcalendarsandopenaflapeachdaytounveilaChristmassymbolormotif.

Amoreextravagantversionisaseriesofboxesofwoodorcardboard,eachofwhichcontains, say, a smallChristmasbaubleor a sweet.Some families evenhavepresentcalendarsandchildrengetasmallpresenteachdayuntilChristmas—whentheywillgetevenmore.

And then there are the TV calendars. They aremostly for kids and provide ahyggeligactivitytomaketheirwaitfor thebigdaytolerable.Everyyear,mostTV stations have their own julekalender—astory usually related toChristmaswithtwenty-fourconnectedepisodes,reachingaclimaxonDecember24,whentheadultsarebusywithlast-minutepreparations.

Emphasizing that Christmas really is the time for hygge, one of the recurringcharactersintheseshowsisLunte,anisse,whousuallygreetspeoplebysaying,“Hyggehejsa” (hygge hello). A newTV calendar is produced every year, andthere is always an old one that is being shown again.Andwhile children arelaughingandhavingagoodtimewatchingtheseshows,youwilloftenfindthe

adultssnatchingglimpsesof thescreenandsmiling to themselves, reminiscingabout being a child andwatching the very same sceneswhilewaiting for thecomingofChristmasDay.

Naturally,thesethingsareinthemselveshyggelige.Buttheyarealsoimportantbecausetheyaretraditions.Andtraditionsmattertohygge.Traditionsremindusofalltheothergoodtimeswehavehadwithfamilyandfriends.WefeelthereisapartofChristmasorhyggehidden in theseactionsand items thathavebeenpartofourwholelife.Withoutthem,somethingismissing.Christmasjustwouldnotbethesame.

THERACETORELAX

Getting a bit out of breath reading about all the necessities for aDanishChristmas?Icompletelygetit.AllthethingsIhavesketchedoutheredocontributetothepressureforhyggearoundChristmas.

Ifpeoplearenotfeelingthehygge,somethingisnotright.Christmasisdeemedafailure.

All the preparations for a hyggelig Christmas are quite often stressful and,indeed, not very hyggelige. Now, this may seem a bit contradictory, but itactually makes sense. Hygge is possible only if it stands in opposition tosomethingwhich is not hygge. It is essential for the concept of hygge that itconstitutes an alternative to everything that is not hyggeligt in our everydaylives.Forabriefmoment,hyggeprotectsusagainstthatwhichisnothyggeligt.Theremustbeanti-hyggeforhyggetobevaluable.Lifemightseemstressful.Itmightseemunsafeandunfair.Lifeisoftencenteredonmoneyandsocialstatus.Butlifeisnoneofthesethingsinmomentsofhygge.

Remembermyfriendwhocommented that theonlywayour time in thecabincouldbemorehyggeligwasifastormbrokeoutside?Thisishygge.Themoreitsets the here and now apart from the tough realities of the outsideworld, themorevaluableitbecomes.

In thisway, achievinghyggewouldnot bepossiblewithout all the bustle andturmoil leading up to Christmas. All themoney, stress, work, and time beingsacrificedinthepreparationsforChristmasleadsuptohyggeasaclimax.Hyggeis postponed in order to be accomplished. Knowing friends and family haveworked hard all December in order to get together and not focus on work,money,andallthingsprofaneisthemeaningofhygge.

But Christmas still includes moments that threaten to compromise hygge. Ashyggeisaboutlettinggooftheeveryday,thefocuson,forexample,moneyandthegivingandexchangingofpresentsalwaysthreatenstocontaminatethepure

andpristinehygge.

Givingandreceivingpresentsmaycausesomeonetofeelexposedoremphasizedifferencesinstatus.Receivingtoobigagiftmakesyoufeelindebttothegiver,while giving too big a gift is frowned upon, as it asserts the giver’s superiorposition. Demonstrations of power are not welcome in hygge. In Denmark,Christmas hygge is egalitarian. It is about relations and community, notindividuals trying todrawattention to themselves. It isnotpossible toachievehyggeifanybodyfeelsexcludedorsuperiortoanybodyelse.

Therefore, thebestChristmases are theoneswhere everythingoutlined in thischapterisachievedandwherethedangerelementofgift-givingiseliminatedbystrikingabalancebetweengivingandreceiving.Fortunately,oncethepresentshavebeenexchanged,thereareplentyofgift-free,hyggeligedaysofrelaxationandlunchesuntilNewYear’sEve,whenhyggeisagainsacrificedsothatevenmorepreparationscanbemade.

ÆBLESKIVER(EH-BLEH-SKI-VER)

AtraditionalDanishtreatfortheChristmasholidaysisæbleskiver.Don’tforgettoserveitwithgløgg—(seetherecipeforgløgginChapter4).Forthisyouneedaspecialpan—anæbleskiverpan—whichcanbefoundandorderedonline.

Serves4–6.

Cookingtime45minutes(including30minutesrestforthedough)

3eggs

Scant2cupsbuttermilk

2cupsflour

1tablespoonsugar

¼teaspoonsalt½teaspoonbakingsoda

3tablespoonsmeltedbutter

3tablespoonsmeltedbutter

confectioner’ssugar,toservejam,toserve

1.Mixeggyolks,buttermilk, flour, sugar, salt, andbakingsoda togetherwell.Coverthemixtureandletitrestforthirtyminutes.

2.Oncethemixturehasrisen,whiptheeggwhitesuntilstiffandfoldgentlyintothemixture.

3.Heattheæbleskiverpanandputalittlebutterineachhole.Poursomeofthemixture into each hole, filling them three-quarters full and cook over amediumheat.Turntheæbleskiverfrequently,sotheyarecookedevenly.Thisusuallytakesfivetosixminutes.Makethefirstturnwhentheyhaveformedabrowncrustatthebottombutthedoughontopisstillrunny,usingaknittingneedleorskewer.

4.Servethemhotwithconfectioner’ssugarandyourfavoritejam.

HYGGETIP:GETKNITTING

Whymightsomeonehaveaknittingneedle layingaround?Becauseknitting isextremely hygge. It is a sign of “everything is safe”–it has a certain grandmavibe to it—and even the sound of knitting is hygge. Knitting also bringscalmnesstothesituationandatmosphere.Infact,oneofmyfriendsiscurrentlystudyingtobeamidwife.Sheandherclassweretoldbyoneoftheprofessorsthat they should take up knitting because it would have a calming effect onpeopleintheroomwhenthebabieswerebeingdelivered.Mostofthestudentsin the class were knitting during the next class. Oh, and of course, there arebonushyggepointsforsocksandscarvesyou’veknittedyourself.

CHRISTMASWOVENHEARTS

ThereisalongtraditioninDenmarkformakingpleatedheartsoutofpaperasornamentsfortheChristmastree.

Theoriginof the tradition isunknown,but theoldestknownheartwas in factmadebyHansChristianAndersen in1860. It is stillkept inamuseum. In theearly twentieth century, making Christmas hearts became widespread,particularly perhaps because pleating the hearts out of glossy paper wasconsideredtoimprovechildren’sfinemotorskills.Todayfamilieswithkidswillspend a healthy part of Sunday afternoons in December making Christmashearts.

HOWTOMAKEWOVENHEARTS

What you need: Two different-colored sheets of glossy paper (here, red andblue),apairofscissors,apencil,andabitofpatience.

STEP1:

Foldthecoloredsheetsofglossypaperinhalf.(Ifthepaperiscoloredononlyoneside,makesure thecoloredsidefacesoutward.)Ontheoutersideofeachfoldedpieceofpaper,drawanoutlineoftheUshapewith4cutlines(oneheartXandoneheartY).ThestraightedgeoftheUshapeshouldbealongthefoldofthepaper.

STEP2:

Cut out the shapes including along the cut lines.Youwill have one cutout ofeachcolor.

Eachcutoutwillhavetwolayersofpaperandfiveflaps.

STEP3:

Thereareonly twopossibleactionswhenpleating the flaps:a flapeithergoesthroughthemiddleofanotherflaporhasanotherflapgoingthroughthemiddleofit.Adjacentflapsalternate,soifoneflapgoesthroughanother, theadjacentflapwilldotheopposite.

To create the woven heart, flap 1 of the blue cutout is threaded through themiddle of flap E of the red cutout; flap D is threaded through flap 1; flap 1throughflapC;flapBthroughflap1;andflap1throughflapA.

Repeat this process starting with flap 2 but reverse the process beginning bythreadingflapEthroughflap2.

Flap3mustthenbethreadedlikeflap1;flap4likeflap2;andflap5likeflaps3and1.

Whenflap5hasbeenwoventhroughflapAtheheartiscomplete.YouarenowaqualifiedDane!

CHAPTERTWELVE

SUMMERHYGGE

THELIVINGISEASY

Whilesummermaynotencourage theuseofcandlesand fireplaces,summer can be hyggelig, too. Summer is the smell of new-mowngrass,suntannedskin,sunscreen,andsaltwater.

It is reading in the shadow of a tree, enjoying the long summer nights, andstandingaroundthebarbecuewithyourfriends.Summerdoesn’tmeanyouhavetoturndownthehygge.Itisjustadifferentkindofhyggefromthatofautumnor winter. It involves making use of the sun and the warmth and nature, butsummerhyggestillbuildson thekeyelementsof togethernessandgood food.Herearefivesuggestionsyoucanusetogetthehyggegoingduringsummer.

1.THINKCIDERHOUSERULES

There are few things more hyggelig than spending a day in an orchardpickingfruit.Aboutonceayear,myfriendsandIgotoFejø,asmallislandinthesouthernpartofDenmarkknownforitsapples.Therearerowsandrowsofappleandplumtrees. Ifwehit the island late in thesummer, theOpalplumsareripeandtheFilippaapplesareready.

Spending one day at the orchard allows you to hygge another day bymakingjamsorpreservingthefruityoupickedinotherways.Thisyear,Ihopewe can have a go atmaking cider.Maybe it’s time for that pantrypartywetalkedaboutearlier.

Therearemanypick-your-ownfarmsscatteredthroughoutthecountrysideintheUK,US,Canada,Australia,andNewZealand.

2.THROWABARBECUEFORFAMILYANDFRIENDS

Nothing gets the hygge going faster than lighting the barbecue. This is atypeofhyggepracticedinmostpartsoftheworld.Inviteyourfriendsandfamily over and get cooking together. Light the barbecue, andwhile youwait for the coals to get to just the right temperature, have a game ofcroquet.

3.JOINORBUILDACOMMUNITYGARDEN

At themoment, community gardens seem to be popping up everywhere,andwith good reason.They are awonderfulway of getting thehyggeligatmosphereofavillageintoabiggercity.Tendingtoyourtomatoeswhilehaving a chat with other gardeners is both hyggelig and meditative. Inaddition,itbringspeopleinthelocalneighborhoodtogetherandfostersthedevelopmentofcommunityspirit.What’snottolike?

BuildingcommunitygardenswasoneoftheproposalsrecommendedbytheHappiness Research Institute when we were working with a town justoutsideCopenhagen,tryingtocomeupwithideasthatwouldimprovethesocial fabric and reduce isolationand loneliness in the community.But itwassuchagreatideathatIthoughtweshouldbuildoneourselves.Sowedid.Acrossthestreetfromourofficeisachurchthathasspaceforaroundtwenty raised plant beds. We ordered seven tons of dirt and spent oneSundayafternoonbuildingthegarden,andofcourse,totopoffthehygge,wefinishedthedaywithabarbecue.

4.PICNICSBYTHEBEACH

Summerisawonderfultimeofyeartogotoyourlocalfarmers’marketandfill your basket with strawberries, cherries, and watermelon. Add somebread and cheese to the basket, and you’re good to go. Bring all yourfriends,orjustthatonespecialperson,andfindaspotnearthesea.Thisistherecipeforoneofthemosthyggeligactivitiesyoucandothroughoutthesummer.Awholedaycaneasilypassjustintalking,reading,andenjoyingthefreedomofnothavingtodoanything.

5.CARGOBIKEAROUND

Whatbetterway toexperienceyourcityorneighborhood thanbycyclingaround it? Of course, being from Copenhagen, I might be biased in thisregard. So if you have the good fortune—as I do—to know some goodpeoplewhoownacargobike,youmightbeabletoborrowitforaday.Acargobikeisabicyclethatallowsyoutohaveapassengerortwo.Athree-wheeledbicyclewitha largebox in front for transportingyourkids,yourspouse,dog,groceriesorwhateveryouwanttotakeforaride.Ofcourse,youcouldwalkordrive.But thecargobikecanbeturnedintoamovablefortressofhygge.

Bring pillows, a blanket, treats,music, a picnic basket—whatever ticklesyourfancy.Thisistheperfectwaytospendasummerafternoon,butifyouaddanextrawarmblanketandagoodsweater,thiscanalsoworkasayear-round activity. In fact one winter, I biked a beautiful Swedish womanaround under theCopenhagenChristmas lights in an attempt towoo her.The attempt failed. “The timingwasn’t right” (which I believe translates

into“I’mjustnotthatintoyou”ineverylanguage),butIamsureitwasn’tbecauseshethoughtourdatelackedhygge.

BIKESANDHAPPINESS

In addition to hygge, Hans Christian Andersen, Lego, and Danishdesign,Denmarkisknownforitsloveofbikes.

Ofcourse, it iseasytobeanationofcyclophiliacswhenthecountry’shighestpointislessthansixhundredandfifty-sixfeetandwhenthecityinvestsheavilyin infrastructure for cyclists. (Car taxes of 150 to 180 percent probably alsohelp.)

Nevertheless,Daneslovetheirbikesandcycling.InCopenhagen,45percentofthosewho live, study, orwork in the city cycle to their place of education oremployment.Roughlya thirdof thoseworking in thecitybut livingoutside itchoose tocommutebybicycle. I thinkmostofusappreciate thatcycling isaneasywaytoweaveabitofexerciseintoourdailyroutineandisenvironmentally(andwallet) friendly.However, that isnotwhyCopenhagenersbike.Wedo itbecauseitiseasyandconvenient.ItissimplythefastestwaytogetfromAtoB.But there is an additional advantage that may be overlooked andunderappreciated:bikingmakespeoplehappier.

Acomprehensivestudycarriedout in2014by researchersat theUniversityofEastAnglia’sNorwichMedicalSchoolandtheCenterforHealthEconomicsatthe University of York, and based on nearly 18,000 adult commuters overeighteenyears,foundthatpeoplewhobiketoworkarehappierthanthosewhodriveorusepublictransport.

You might argue that we can’t be sure that it’s the cycling that causes thehappiness.Itcouldjustaswellbetheotherwayround—thatthehappierpeopleare,themoreinclinedtheyaretocycle.True,butthisiswhereitgetsinteresting.Whentheresearchersofthestudyanalyzedtheresults,theydiscoveredthatthepeoplewhoovertheyearshadchangedfromcommutingbycarorbustocyclingorgoingonfootbecamehappierafter theswitch.And tofurtherbombardyouwith compelling arguments to give the bike a try, another study, fromMcGillUniversity inMontreal, also found that those who cycled to work weremost

satisfiedwiththeircommute,eventhoughitcouldmaketheircommutelonger.

Andifhappinessisn’tenoughofamotivation,letmetellyouthataccordingtoaDutch (cyclophiliacs as well) study undertaken by the University of Utrecht,switching from driving to riding a bike in your daily commute adds three tofourteen months to your life expectancy, and a Danish study concluded—perhaps unsurprisingly—that childrenwho cycled to schoolwere significantlyfitterthanthosewhoweredriven.

“Okay,” youmight say. “So cyclingwillmakeme healthier and happier. Butwhatgoodarehealthandhappiness?Theycan’tbringmemoney...”Well,youmightnotbetheidealtargetgroupformynextargument,butheregoes:ifyoubike,weallwin.Itisgoodforthecommunity.

Cycling isnotonlybeneficial for the individual andhisorherwell-beingandhealth, but it’s an indicator of the degree of neighbors’ and locals’ sense ofcommunity.A Swedish study of 2012 ofmore than 21,000 people found thatpeoplewho traveled by car generally attended fewer social events and familygatherings.Furthermore,thedrivershadcomparativelylesstrustinotherpeople.Those who chose to walk or cycle to their destinations attended more socialeventsandhadacomparativelygreatertrustinothers.

Thisdoesn’tmeanthatswappingyourcarforabikewillinstantlyimprovehowmuchyoutrustotherpeople.Theresearchersbehindthestudypointtowardtheincrease in commuting distance as an explanation.Because of amore flexibleandaccessible labormarket,peoplefindjobsfartherafield.In turn, thismeansthat people’s social networks are spread farther geographically,which reducestheirsenseofbelongingandengagementintheirneighborhood.Inotherwords,ifacityisdesignedinawaythatmakesalongdrivetoworknecessary,weharmthesocialhealthofthatcity.Ifalotofpeoplecycle,it’sprobablyanindicationthat you live in a healthy neighborhood. This is something that should beseriouslyconsideredinurbanplanningifwewanttoensureneighborlinessandtrustamonglocals.

CHAPTERTHIRTEEN

FIVEDIMENSIONSOFHYGGE

THETASTEOFHYGGE

Taste is an important element of hygge because it often involveseatingsomething.Andthatsomethingcannotbetoofresh,alternativeorchallenginginanyway.

Thetasteofhyggeisalmostalwaysfamiliar,sweet,andcomforting.Ifyouwanttomakeacupofteamorehyggelig,youaddhoney.Ifyouwanttomakeacakemorehyggelig,youaddicing.Andifyouwantyourstewtobemorehyggelig,youaddwine.

THESOUNDOFHYGGE

Thesmallsparksanddynamiccracklesofburningwoodareprobablythemosthyggeligesoundsthereare.Butdon’tworryifyouliveinanapartmentandcannothaveanopenfirewithoutalsofacinggreatriskofdeath.

Many sounds can be hyggelige. Actually, hygge mainly has to do with theabsence of sounds,which enables you to hear even very quiet noises such asraindrops on the roof, wind blowing outside the window, the sound of treeswavinginthewind,orthecreaksofwoodenplanksthatyieldwhenyouwalkonthem. Also, the sounds of a person drawing, cooking, or knitting could behyggelig.Anysoundofasafeenvironmentwillbethesoundtrackofhygge.Forexample, thesoundof thundercanbeveryhyggeligt ifyouare insideandfeelsafe;ifoutside,notsomuch.

SMELLSLIKEHYYGE

Haveyouever smelled something that takes youback toa timeandplacewhere you felt safe?Or smelled something that, more than amemory, gives youa flashbackof how theworld used to lookwhenyouwereachild?

Or maybe the smell of something provokes strong feelings of security andcomfort,suchasthearomacomingfromabakery,orthesmellofappletreesinyourchildhoodgardenormaybethefamiliarscentofyourparents’house?

Whatmakesasmellhyggeligdiffersverymuchfrompersontoperson,becausesmellsrelateasituationtoonesexperiencedwiththatsmellinthepast.Forsomepeople,thesmellofcigarettesinthemorningisthemosthyggeligthingthereis;toothers, thesmellmayprovokenauseaandheadaches.Onecommonelementofallthesmellsofhyggeisthattheyremindusofsafetyandthesenseofbeingcaredfor.Weusesmell tosensewhethersomething issafe toeat,butwealsouseittointuitwhetheraplaceissafeandhowalertweshouldbe.Thesmellofhyggeisthesmellthattellsyoutoputyourguarddowncompletely.Thesmellofcooking, thesmellofablanketyouuseathome,or thesmellofaplaceweperceiveassafecanbeveryhyggeligtbecauseitremindsusofastateofmindweexperiencedwhenwefeltcompletelysafe.

WHATDOESHYGGEFEELLIKE?

As I mentioned earlier, letting your fingers run across a woodensurface,aroundawarmceramiccup,orthroughthehairsontheskinofareindeerbringsoutthehygge.

Old, homemade stuff that has taken a lot of time to make is always morehyggeligt than manufactured new stuff. And small things are always morehyggeligtthanbigthings.IfthesloganfortheUSAis“Thebigger,thebetter,”thesloganforDenmarkis“Thesmaller,themorehyggeligt.”

InCopenhagen, almost all the buildings stand only three or four stories high.Newhousesmadeoutofconcrete,glass,andsteeldonotstandachanceagainstthehyggefactorintheseoldbuildings.Anythinghand-crafted—objectscreatedoutofwood,ceramics,wool,leather,andsoon—ishyggeligt.Shinymetalandglassarenothyggeligt—thoughtheycanbeif theyareoldenough.Therustic,organic surface of something imperfect or something that has been orwill beaffectedbyageappealstothetouchofhygge.Also,thefeelingofbeinginsidesomething warm in a place where it is cold is very different from just beingwarm.Itgivesthefeelingofbeingcomfortableinahostileenvironment.

SEEINGHYGGE

Hyggeisverymuchaboutlight,aswehavesaid.Toobrightisnothyggeligt.Buthyggeisalsoverymuchabouttakingyourtime.

Thiscanbeaccentuatedbywatchingveryslowmovementsofthings,forexample,gentlyfallingsnow—oraqilokoq,astheInuitswouldsay—orthelazyflamesfromanopenfire.Inshort,slow,organicmovementsanddark,naturalcolorsarehyggelige.Thesightofabright,sterilehospitalorwatchingfast-movingvehiclesonahighwayisnot.Hyggeisdimmed,rustic,andslow.

THESIXTHSENSEOFHYGGE

Hygge is about feeling safe.Hence, hygge is an indication that youtrusttheonesyouarewithandwhereyouare.

And the feeling of hygge is an indication of your feeling of pleasure whensomeone tells you to go with your gut feeling, that you have expanded yourcomfort zone to includeother people and feel you canbe completely yourselfaroundotherpeople.

Sohyggecanbetasted,heard,smelled,touchedandseen.But,mostimportant,hyggeisfelt.Inthebeginningofthebook,ImentionedWinnie-the-Pooh,andIthinkhiswisdomstillholdstrue.Youdon’tspelllove.Youfeelit.Thisbringsustothefinalthemeofthebook:happiness.

CHAPTERFOURTEEN

HYGGEANDHAPPINESS

Today,politicalleadersfromaroundtheworldareexpressinganinterestinwhysome societies are happier than others.At the same time, countries are takingsteps to measure their success as a society—not only from how much theeconomygrows,butalso fromhowmuch their livesare improved,not justby

thestandardoflivingbutqualityoflife.Thisisoneoftheconsequencesoftheparadigm shift away from gross domestic product (GDP) as the dominantindicatorforprogressinrecentyears.However,thisideaisnotnew.AsRobertKennedypointedoutmorethanfortyyearsago:

Thegrossnationalproductdoesnotallowforthehealthofourchildren,thequalityoftheireducationorthejoyoftheirplay.Itdoesnotincludethebeautyofourpoetryorthestrengthofour marriages; the intelligence of our public debate or theintegrityofourpublicofficials . . . itmeasureseverything, inshort,exceptthatwhichmakeslifeworthwhile.

Lately,thishasincreasedtheinterestinandnumberofhappinesssurveys—anditseemsthatDenmarkcomesoutontopalmosteverytime.“Aboutonceayear,somenewstudyconfirmsDenmark’sstatusasahappinesssuperpower,”wroteajournalistatTheNewYorkTimesin2009.Sincethen,thestatementhasbecomeeventruer.

TheWorldHappiness Report, which is commissioned by theUnitedNations,hasnowbeenpublishedfourtimes.Denmarkhasbeeninfirstplaceeverytimeexcept once, when the country was pushed to third place. And the WorldHappiness Report is just one out of many rankings that puts Denmark andCopenhagenatthetopofthelistsabouthappinessandthecountry’slivability.

ThesamepatternisevidentwhentheOrganizationforEconomicCo-operationandDevelopmentlooksatlifesatisfactionandwhentheEuropeanSocialSurveylooksathappiness.MonoclemagazinehasseveraltimesrankedCopenhagenastheworld’smost livablecity.Nowadays,well-beingrankingsareonlynewsinDenmarkwhen the country doesn’tmake first place. In addition,most Danescan’thelpbutsmilealittlewhentheyhearthatDenmarkisthehappiestcountryin the world. They are well aware that Denmark was not first in line whenweather was handed out and that when they are sitting in traffic on a wetFebruarymorning,theyhardlylookliketheworld’shappiestpeople.

SowhyarethepeopleinDenmarksohappy?

THEHAPPYDANES

Asdiscussed, international surveys frequentlynameDenmarkas thehappiest country in the world, and this has naturally prompted anincreasinginterestonthepartofhappinessresearchers.WhatarethereasonsbehindthehighlevelsofhappinessinDenmark?

AttheHappinessResearchInstitute,wehavetriedtoanswerthisquestioninthereport “The Happy Danes—Exploring the Reasons for the High Level of

Happiness in Denmark.” Briefly, there are many reasons. Several factorsinfluencewhysomepeopleandcountriesarehappierthanothers:—genetics,ourrelationships,health,income,job,senseofpurposeandfreedom.

But one of the main reasons why Denmark does so well in internationalhappiness surveys is the welfare state, as it reduces uncertainty, worries, andstressinthepopulation.YoucansaythatDenmarkisthehappiestcountryintheworldoryoucan say thatDenmark is the leastunhappycountry in theworld.The welfare state is really good (not perfect, but good) at reducing extremeunhappiness. Universal and free health care, free university education, andrelatively generous unemployment benefits go a long way toward reducingunhappiness.Thishasparticularsignificance for thosewhoare lesswelloff,asegmentofsocietywhoishappierinDenmarkthaninotherwealthycountries.

Furthermore, there is a high level of trust inDenmark (notice all the strollersparked outside caféswhen the parents are inside, drinking coffee). There is ahigh level of freedom (Danes report really high levels in terms of feeling incontrolovertheirlives),ofwealthandgoodgovernance,andawell-functioningcivilsociety.

These factors, however, don’t setDenmark apart fromotherNordic countries.Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland also enjoy relatively high levels ofwelfare.ThisiswhyalltheNordiccountriesareusuallyfoundinthetoptenofhappiness rankings. However, maybe the instance of hygge is what setsDenmark apart from the rest of the Nordic countries. I think hygge andhappinessmightbe linked,ashyggemaybe thepursuitofeverydayhappinessandsomeofthekeycomponentsofhyggearedriversofhappiness.Let’slookatsomeofthem.

HYGGEASSOCIALSUPPORT

Given the above,we can now perhaps explain three-quarters of thereasonswhysomecountriesarehappierthanothers—factorssuchasgenerosity, freedom, GDP, good governance, and healthy lifeexpectancy.Butthefactorthathasthebiggesteffectonourhappinessissocialsupport.

Whatismeantbythisissimply:dopeoplehavesomeoneintheirnetworktheycanrelyonintimesofneed?Yesorno.Itmightnotbethebestormostnuancedwayofmeasuringoursocialsupportsystems,butitisthedatawehaveacrossasmanycountriesasarecoveredbytheWorldHappinessReport.

OneofthereasonsforthehighlevelofhappinessinDenmarkisthegoodwork–life balance, which allows people to make time for family and friends.Accordingto theOECDBetterLifeIndex,Daneshavemorefreetimethanallthe other OECD members, and according to the European Social Survey, 33percentofDanesreportfeelingcalmandpeacefulallormostofthetime,whilethe percentages are 23 for Germany, 15 in France, and 14 in the UnitedKingdom.

Sopoliciesmatter,butmaybehyggealsofostersaspecialwayofbeingtogether

with your loved ones. In the chapter on togetherness, we touched on the linkbetweenrelationships,hygge,andhappiness.

This link cannot be overstated. In 1943, the American psychologist AbrahamMaslowdevelopedamodelcalled thepyramidofhumanneedsand the theorythatwemust fillourneeds from thebottomof thepyramidupward.Themostelementary needs are physiological: food,water, and sleep—and security. Butthen come our social needs, our need for love and belonging.Without havingtheseneedscovered,wewillnotbeabletomoveontofulfillingourneedsforself-esteemandself-actualization.

Today,when happiness researchers analyze the common denominators amongthose who consider themselves happy, a pattern emerges without exception:happy people have meaningful and positive social relationships. Studies alsoshowthatwhenindividualsexperiencesocialisolation,manyofthesamebrainregionsbecomeactivethatareactiveintheexperienceofphysicalpain.

ThefoureditionsoftheWorldHappinessReportpublishedthusfararepackedwith evidence of the link between relationships and happiness. Family andfriends and close personal relationshipswith loved adults explain the greatestvariation in happiness. Except in the very poorest countries, happiness variesmorewiththequalityofourrelationshipsthanwithwealth.

Accordingtothereports,themostimportantrelationshipsarewithlovedones—across all societies—but our relationships at work, with friends, and in thecommunityarealsoimportant.Soqualityrelationshipsimpactourhappiness,butthe causality goes both ways. Studies suggest that having high levels ofhappinessleadstobettersocialrelationships.Thereasonmaybethathappinessincreasesourlevelofsociabilityandimprovesthequalityoftherelationshipswehave. Experiments also show that people in a positive mood express greaterinterest in social and pro-social activities. Similarly, according to the WorldHappinessReport, aworld surveyof 123nations found that the experienceofpositive feelings was strongly related to good social relationships acrossdifferentsocioculturalregions.

Insum,researchfromseveraldecadesprovidesevidencethatsupportsthebondbetweenourrelationshipsandwell-being.Happierpeoplehavealargerquantityand better quality of friendships and family relationships. Thus good

relationshipsbothcausehappinessandarecausedbyit.Thestudiessuggestthat,of all the factors that influence happiness, a sense of feeling related to thosearoundyouisverynearthetopofthelist.

This is why hyggemay be one of the reasons that Danes always report highlevelsofhappiness.Notonlyaretherepoliciesthatsecurethemtimetopursuemeaningful relationships, but the language and the culture alsodriveDanes toprioritize spending time with family and friends and to develop qualityrelationshipsovertime.

SAVORINGANDGRATITUDE

Asmentioned in thechapteron food,hygge isaboutgivingyourselfand others a treat. It is about savoring themoment and the simplepleasuresofgoodfoodandgoodcompany.

It is giving thehot chocolatewithwhipped cream the attention it deserves. Inshort,indulgence.Hyggeisaboutthenow,howtoenjoythemomentandmakethebestofit.

Morethananything,savoringisaboutgratitude.Weoftenremindeachothernottotakethingsforgranted.Gratitudeismorethanjustasimple“thankyou”whenyoureceiveagift.Itisaboutkeepinginmindthatyouliverightnow,allowingyourselftofocusonthemomentandappreciatethelifeyoulead,tofocusonallthatyoudohave,notwhatyoudon’t.Clichés?Totally.

Nevertheless, evidence-based studies show that practicing gratitude has animpactonhappiness.

According to Robert A. Emmons, a professor of psychology at University ofCalifornia,Davis, and one of theworld’s leading experts on gratitude, peoplewho feel grateful are not only happier than those who do not but also morehelpfulandforgivingandlessmaterialistic.

Inoneofhisstudies,whichinvolvedinterviewingoverathousandpeople,someweretoldtokeepgratitudejournals,writingdownwhattheyweregratefulforon

aweeklybasis.Theresearchersfoundthatgratitudehaspsychological,physical,andsocialbenefits.Thepeoplewhowrotethegratitudejournalsreportedfeelingmorepositiveemotionslikealertnessandenthusiasm,reportedbettersleepandfewer symptoms of disease, and were more mindful of situations where theycouldbehelpful.

Research also shows that grateful people tend to recover more quickly fromtraumaandsuffering thanothersandare less likely toget stressed indifferentsituations.Youcanseewhyitisimportanttoincludegratitudeinyoureverydaylife.

Unfortunately,sinceouremotionalsystemisafanofnewness,wearequicktoadapttonewthingsandevents,especiallypositiveones.Therefore,youneedtocomeupwithnewthingstobegratefulfor,andnotgetstuckinthesamewayofthinking.Emmonsbelievesthatgratitudemakespeopletakeastepbackandseethevalueofwhattheyhaveandtherebyappreciateitmore,whichmakesitlesslikelythattheywilltakeitforgranted.

Hygge may help us to be grateful for the everyday because it is all aboutsavoringsimplepleasures.Hyggeismakingthemostofthemoment,buthyggeisalsoawayofplanningforandpreservinghappiness.Danesplanforhyggeligetimesandreminisceaboutthemafterward.

“Isnostalgiapartofhygge?”oneofthedesignersofthisbookaskedme.Hehadread some of the first drafts andwewere now discussing the feel and visualidentity at the Granola Café at Værnedamsvej in Copenhagen. At first Idismissedhis idea.But in theprocessofwriting, Islowlyrealized thathewasright.Relivinghyggemoments,sittinginfrontofthefireoronabalconyintheFrenchAlps, orwalking back into the summer cabin ofmy childhood, I wastrippingonnostalgia.Atthesametime,InoticedthatIwassmiling.

Accordingtothestudy“Nostalgia:Content,Triggers,Function”intheJournalof Personality and Social Psychology (November 2006), nostalgia producespositivefeelings,reinforcesourmemoriesandsenseofbeingloved,andboostsself-esteem.Sowhilehappinessandhyggearedefinitelyaboutappreciatingthenow,bothmayalsobeplannedandpreserved.Hyggeandhappinesshaveapastandafutureaswellasapresent.

HYGGEASEVERYDAYHAPPINESS

I study happiness.Each day, I try to answer one question:why aresomepeoplehappierthanothers?

I’vebeentoldthatmusicianscanlookatnotesandhearthemusicintheirheads.ThesamethinghappenstomewhenIlookathappinessdata.Ihearcomfortingsoundsofliveswell lived.Ihearthejoy,thefeelingofconnectedness,andthesenseofpurpose.

Many people are, however, skeptical about the possibility of measuringhappiness.Oneoftheissuesraisedisthattherearedifferentperceptionsofwhathappiness is. We try to acknowledge this by saying that “happiness” is anumbrellaterm.Webreakitdownandlookatthedifferentcomponents.SowhentheHappinessResearchInstitute,theUN,theOECD,anddifferentgovernmentstry tomeasure happiness andquantify quality of life,we can consider at leastthreedimensionsofhappiness.

First of all, we look at life satisfaction. We do this by asking people ininternational surveys:How satisfied are youwith your life all in all?Or howhappyareyouonascalefrom0to10?Takeastepbackandevaluateyourlife.Thinkofthebestpossiblelifeyoucouldleadandtheworstpossible:Wheredoyoufeelyoustandrightnow?ThisiswhereDenmarkscoresthehighestintheworld.

Second,welookat theaffectiveorhedonicdimension.Whatkindofemotionsdopeople experience on an everyday basis? If you look at yesterday, did youfeelangry,sad,lonely?Didyoulaugh?Didyoufeelhappy?Didyoufeelloved?

Thethirddimensioniscalledtheeudaemonicdimension.ThatisnamedaftertheancientGreekwordeudaimonia for“happiness.”Andit isbasedonAristotle’sperception of happiness. To him, the good life was a meaningful life. So dopeopleexperienceasenseofpurpose?

Ideally, what we do is follow ten thousand or more people—in a scientificmanner,notlikeastalker—over,say,tenyears.Because,overthenextdecade,someofusaregoingtogetapromotion,someofusaregoingtoloseourjob,andsomeofusaregoingtogetmarried.Thequestionis:Howdothosechangesinlifecircumstancesimpactthedifferentdimensionsofhappiness?

Sohowhappyareyou all in all?Howsatisfied areyouwithyour life?Thesequestionshavebeenaskedandansweredmillionsoftimesacrosstheworld,sonow we can look for patterns in the data. What do happy people have incommon, whether you are from Denmark, the UK, the US, China, or India?What is the average effect on happiness from, say, doubling your income orgettingmarried?Whatarethecommondenominatorsofhappiness?

Wehavebeendoingthisforyearswhenitcomestohealth,forexample,lookinginto the commondenominators of peoplewho live to be a hundred years old.Andbecauseofthosestudies,weknowthatalcohol,tobacco,exercise,andourdiet have an effect on our life expectancy. We use the same methods tounderstandwhatmattersforhappiness.

Soyoumightsay,“Well,happinessisverysubjective.”Yes,ofcourseitis,anditshouldbe.WhatIcareaboutishowyoufeelaboutyourlife.Ithinkyouarethe best judgeofwhether you are happyor not.Yes,workingwith subjectivemeasuresisdifficult,butitisnotimpossible.Wedoitallthetimewhenitcomesto stress, anxiety, and depression, which are also in some senses subjectivephenomena.Attheendoftheday,itisallabouthowweasindividualsperceiveourlives.Ihaveyettohearaconvincingargumentwhyhappinessshouldbetheonethingintheworldwecannotstudyinascientificmanner.Whyshouldwenottrytounderstandthethingthatperhapsmattersthemost?

So we try to understand what drives life satisfaction, affective or hedonichappiness, and eudaemonia. The different dimensions are linked, of course. Ifyouhaveaday-to-daylifethatisfilledwithpositiveemotions,youarelikelytoreporthigherlevelsoflifesatisfaction.Buttheseconddimensionismuchmorevolatile. We can detect a weekend effect here. People report more positiveemotionsduringweekendsthanonweekdays.Thiswouldcomeasnosurprisetomostpeople,aswearemorelikelytoengageinactivitiesthatbringoutpositiveemotions during the weekend. Furthermore, the different dimensions ofhappiness are linkedbiologically. For instance, hedonic and eudaemonicwell-

beingarecorrelated,andmanyofthebrainmechanismsinvolvedinthehedonicexperience of sensory pleasure are also active in the more eudaemonicexperience.

Coming back to hygge and happiness, I think that one of themost interestingfindingsinrecentyearsisthattheexperienceofpositiveemotionsmattersmoretoouroverallwell-being,measuredintermsoflifesatisfaction,thantheabsenceof negative emotions (although both are important, according to the WorldHappinessReport).

Researching and writing this book, I have come to realize that hygge mayfunction as a driver for happiness on an everyday basis. Hygge gives us thelanguage,theobjective,andthemethodsforplanningandpreservinghappiness—andforgettingalittlebitofiteveryday.Hyggemaybetheclosestwecometohappinesswhenwearrivehomeafteralongday’sworkonacold,rainydayinJanuary.

And let’s face it, this is where most of our lives will play out. Not on cold,Januarydays,buteveryday.Onceayear—ormore, ifweare lucky—wemayfindourselvesonabeachinsomeexoticcountryandwemayfindbothhyggeandhappinesson thesedistant shores.Buthygge is aboutmaking themostofwhatwe have in abundance: the everyday. Perhaps Benjamin Franklin said itbest: “Happiness consists more in small conveniences or pleasures that occureveryday,thaningreatpiecesofgoodfortunethathappenbutseldom.”

Now,Iamofftoseemydadandhiswife.IthinkIwilltakecake.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

IwouldliketothanktheresearchersattheHappinessResearchInstitute—Johan,Felicia,Michael,andKjartan—fortheirhelpwiththisbook.Withoutthem,workwouldnotbehalfashyggeligt.

LaGlace,June2016

ABOUTTHEAUTHOR

MEIKWIKINGisCEOoftheHappinessResearchInstitute,researchassociateforDenmarkattheWorldDatabaseofHappiness,andfoundingmemberoftheLatinAmericanNetworkforWellbeingandQualityofLifePolicies.Heandhisresearchhavebeenfeaturedinmorethanfivehundredmediaoutlets,includingThe Washington Post, BBC, Huffington Post, the Times (London), TheGuardian,CBS,Monocle,theAtlantic,andPBSNewsHour.HehasspokenatTEDx,andhisbookshavebeentranslatedintomorethanfifteenlanguages.HelivesinCopenhagen,Denmark.

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COPYRIGHT

THE LITTLE BOOK OF HYGGE. Copyright © 2017 by Meik Wiking. All rights reserved underInternationalandPan-AmericanCopyrightConventions.Bypaymentof therequiredfees,youhavebeengrantedthenonexclusive,nontransferablerighttoaccessandreadthetextofthise-bookon-screen.Nopartof this textmaybe reproduced, transmitted,downloaded,decompiled, reverse-engineered,or stored inorintroduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whetherelectronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission ofHarperCollinse-books.

OriginallypublishedintheUnitedKingdomin2016byPenguinRandomHouseUK.

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EPubEditionJanuary2017ISBN9780062658814

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*Usesourdoughformaximumhygge,butanybreadthatworksasagoodsaucemopwilldo.

*Don’tgoforthecheapestones,butthereisnoneedtospendallyoursavingsformulledwineeither.

*ThissoftðisoneofthemostdifficultDanishsounds.TheclosestitcomestoEnglishisth,butwithyourtongueextendedalittlefurther.