That "Hygge" feeling

Well, I felt really guilty last night while watching the documentary about the Yorkshire shepherdess and her family of 9 children, farming in remote Yorkshire with 1,000 sheep during last winter's "Beast from the East". There they were, husband, wife and all the kids in the snow battling the conditions, and there was me, lying on the sofa under my furry throw and furry cat, following Hygge!! I know who and where I'd rather be

You paint a magical scene, GabriellaG

I spent time in N. Yorks each winter for several years (decades ago) and it was magical. Virgin snow in the castle grounds, guitar players strumming by the roaring pub fire (where I was staying) horses hooves ringing on the cobbles in the still, frosty, morning air, blowing puffs of warm breath from their nostrils like dragons breathing fire.
Walking home at 3am and a lone male coming the opposite way, tipping his cap and wishing me well.
Wonderful magical memories of a beautiful place, time and people. That was one example of Hygge to me.

Nanna58 and glammagran I don't like the winter either but Hygge makes it bearable. No point in fighting it.

Strikeout didn’t work for me

Agree Sparklefizz. We turn off household heating during the evening and turn on gas fire. Occasionally I’ll use a fleecy blanket which is quite cosy and have a glass —or two— of wine. However summer still wins by a long mile

Hugge can pass me by, hate the winter, it’s a head down and just get through it job for me. Roll on Spring!

Been out rid8ng my pony for 3 hours today, now snuggled under a throw on the sofa. Bliss

Grandetante does the Scots word couthie equate to the word hygge when applied to a person? www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/couthie

Kim19, I've missed my vocation, I should have been a bookseller!

Beigecardigqns I like making up the fire, there's a certain satisfaction to getting it going. It wouldn't be so much fun if it was the only heat source we had, though.

During the winter in my grandmothers home we would Coorie doon (Scots)

I suppose that is the same as Scandinavian Hygge.

Thank you all so much for this thread. After reading I have now turned the heating up a notch, lit a candle, got a You Tube of a log fire crackling away on the tv, just need the wine now.....

I like the idea of hygge, being cosy but am not so keen on a real fire. I remember my mum on her knees (on a little mat in the middle of the lino) putting those little wooden sticks and bits of screwed-up newspaper on the Rayburn - it didn't look like fun.
I've got an electric fire pretending to be the real thing but to complete the look I need a swanky mantelpiece.

Gabriella Actually a throw is very economical - why heat a whole house up when you can just heat the person? I have full insulation and my house is not draughty, but I can turn the heating down a couple of degrees, and do a Hygge snuggle instead. It's actually very comforting. There's probably an emotional or psychological reason for that but who cares? What's not to like?

I have to say I CBA with candles unless I'm trying to impress visitors. The throw is on the bed and stays there. We do have a throw on the sofa but that's because the dogs, not me, like to wrap themselves up in it!

The enormous 12K woodburner is our main source of heat so is lit every day in the winter. Not sure about hygge but it does make the room very cosy.

As for buying a book about it.

We have a Danish DIL and a Swedish best friend, have been embracing “hygge” and “Mysigt” for years.

I have, according to H a candle, cushion and throw obsession!!!

I think it is about a welcoming warm atmosphere where you feel comfortable as do visitors.

I'm struggling to understand why everyone (with few exceptions) seems to need a throw or multiple throws as well as having their fire lit and candles burning...plus animals on their feet (in the bedroom? ) or round their neck.
It seems like overkill or else very badly insulated houses.

Thank you to everyone who has posted up enlightening info re Hygge, Coorie and Mysigt

Just off to snuggle under my furry throw with the cat (again), a cup of tea, yesterday's crossword, a good book and the prospect of the Strictly results later on. (Are we allowed to say "Happy Hygge" or does that not make sense? )

I have a lovely multiwick WoodWick candle that we were given last Christmas. As well as smelling gorgeous it flickers and crackles just like a real fire. Drawing the curtains, lighting that candle, filling a glass with something alcoholic and snuggling under my furry throw definitely gives me that hygge feeling. Or maybe hibernation.

SD I've just ordered 'your' Coorie book. Thanks for the tip. Wish you could earn sales commission!

My throws are out all year. I too like to be curled up by 8 o clock. After working outside all day no one is getting me out of the sofa at night so yes i like the hgge feeling. I was in norway in the spring this year and saw no mention of this nor any books

Being bilingual, English-Danish, I agree entirely, Monica. I have never been able to see that an activity designated as "cosy" in English is not exactly the same as anything called "hyggelig" in Danish. (But people who only speak Danish, don't agree on this point.)

Both the adjective "hyggelig" and the noun "hygge" do have a wider semantic field than "cosiness" as you can use them to describe people, which of course would be quite impossible in English with the word cosy. If you describe a person in Danish as " en hyggelig person" you are faced when translating into English with deciding whether hyggelig here corresponds to "nice", "easy-going" "easy to get on with", or less aptly, "pleasant" a word for which we have a direct translation in Danish and don't need hyggelig, although the modern tendency seems to be to replace both pleasant (rar) and likeable (elskværdig) with hyggelig.

always have a throw candles and my partner if we arent home sitting. im not in bed by 9 im in bed by 8 if im busy and forget the time partner always cheekily says up late tonite love burning the midnight oil and thats at 8.15! i like to snuggle up with my library book and my dogs as i need more sleep than my partner so by time he comes to bed at 10ish ill have read for about an hour and got an hours advance sleep

Sampling the first glass of our home made cider. Most of it will be left to 'condition' for another few months but couldn't resist a small tipple!

I don't know if it's hygge but it's giving me a warm glow

I dont have the "Hygge" feeling, I live in Sweden and we have it "Mysigt" instead, almost the same, cosy.Its minus 4 degrees here today so I am indoors with candles, the log burner in action, and it really is Mysigt!

I only higgle in the evenings, snuggled up on the sofa, fire lit, husband reading and me, well I am attempting to knit a pair of socks on four needles after attending a Saturday class. \Rest of the time like to be outdoors whatever the weather doing something.