What Is Hygge? And Why Every Family Needs It at Christmas

If you have ever spent time in Denmark, you have probably heard the word hygge. It is one of those Danish words that is difficult to translate directly into English because it describes more of a feeling than a thing. It is warmth, comfort, beauty, togetherness, and enjoying simple moments with people you care about.

Growing up in Denmark, I didn’t think about hygge as something unusual or particularly Danish. It was simply part of life, especially during the winter. The days were short and cold, so we spent more time inside with family and friends. We lit candles, played games, drank something warm, ate good food, and enjoyed being together.

It wasn’t until I moved away from Denmark that I realized how much I had brought hygge with me.

What Does Hygge Actually Look Like?

If you came to our home during the winter, you would probably understand hygge pretty quickly. My husband, Rich, loves candles and will often have one burning on the dining room table, another on the coffee table, and another on a side table. We prefer simple, unscented candles, which are also the kind I remember most from growing up in Denmark.

Add a cup of tea, a blanket, something good to eat, and time to sit and talk, and that is hygge to me. It doesn’t require a perfectly decorated room or anything expensive. In fact, some of the most hyggelige evenings are very ordinary ones.

That is an important part of understanding hygge. It isn’t really about what your home looks like. You can buy candles, blankets, beautiful mugs, and all kinds of things marketed as hygge, but none of those things automatically create it. Hygge is more about the atmosphere you create and the people you share it with.

Christmas and Hygge Go Together

Christmas in Denmark naturally creates many opportunities for hygge. December is dark, candles are everywhere, and families spend time baking, making Christmas decorations, playing games, eating together, and preparing for Christmas Eve.

Some of my favourite memories are very simple ones. We would make Christmas decorations, light the candles on our Advent wreath, eat æbleskiver and drink gløgg on Advent Sundays, play games, and sit around the table together. None of those things was particularly elaborate, but together they created the feeling I still associate with Christmas in Denmark.

Even our Christmas decorations added to it. Greenery gathered outside, handmade paper hearts, familiar ornaments, candlelight, and the Christmas tree made the house feel different during December without everything needing to be new or perfectly coordinated.

Hygge Often Happens Around the Table

The dining table is one of the easiest places to create hygge. In Denmark, sitting around the table isn't always about eating quickly and moving on to the next thing. Coffee might come out after dinner, someone brings something sweet to eat, and everyone stays at the table a little longer.

That is something I think we can easily lose when life gets busy, especially during Christmas. Our calendars become full, and we can spend so much time preparing for Christmas that we don’t leave ourselves much time to actually enjoy it.

Sometimes hygge is as simple as not getting up from the table right away. Pour another cup of coffee or tea, bring out a plate of cookies, play a game, and stay awhile.

Bringing More Hygge Into Christmas

If you want to bring a little Danish hygge into your Christmas, I wouldn’t start by buying anything. Start by looking at what your family already enjoys doing together. Maybe everyone loves playing cards. Perhaps your children like baking, doing puzzles, or watching the same Christmas movie every year. Maybe your family would enjoy lighting candles after dinner and reading a chapter of a Christmas book together. Those ordinary things can become some of the best Christmas traditions.

For our family, hygge has followed us from Denmark to America without us really trying to make it happen. We still light lots of candles, drink tea, enjoy good food, and love being home together. It is simply part of the way we live, maybe that is the easiest way to understand hygge. It isn’t something you need to create perfectly. It is making your home a place where people want to sit down, stay awhile, and enjoy being together.

God Jul and be a blessing!

Kirstie