Hygge
[4] Collins English Dictionary defines the word as "a concept, originating in Denmark, of creating cosy and convivial atmospheres that promote wellbeing".
[7] In "Cultural Semantics and Social Cognition: a Case Study on Danish Universe of Meaning", De Gruyter Mouton addresses how translating hygge into English is highly problematic.
Examples of hot-weather outdoor activities considered hygge include picnics, barbecues, concerts, street fairs and cycling.
[12] In Lindsey Robert's article "6 Ways to get that Hygge feeling, even in the Summer Swelter", she suggests giving furniture a second life, adding plants indoors, cleaning one's space, alternating textile, picking statement pieces, and designing outdoor areas.
[14] Several studies conducted in Denmark on young Danish gamers link gaming to improved social skills and academic achievement, in large part due to the cultural inclination towards hygge.
[19] Some examples of this usage of hygge include Danish green companies seeking to attract the best talent from elsewhere,[20] the Danish alcohol giant Carlsberg's marketing efforts highlighting the camaraderie between beer consumption and sports entertainment,[21] and the University of Copenhagen explicitly stating that hygge's inherent coziness is a key reason that international students should seek to attend the university.
[22] Hygge is, arguably, the Danish expression of a wider traditional Scandinavian and perhaps Nordic affective sociocultural assemblage rooted in the region's history and geography.
Many authors attribute hygge's etymology to 18th Century Norwegian, from a breadth of concepts relating to fire, safety, community/familial bonds, comfort and joy, orderliness, tranquility, and so on.
[31] Finland - despite being culturally distinct from the Scandinavian countries - has a similar concept called sisu, which has been described as the Finns' national character.
However, this grittiness is matched by concepts similar to hygge such as comfort; especially sauna culture, oneness with nature, light and warmth, amongst other things.
[34] These hyggelig activities, shared by The Happiness Institute have been known to produce feelings of love, warmth, and safety as a result of the release of oxytocin.
[34] Some activities include manipulating the environment with candles and lighting, appreciating nature, promoting comfort and peace by participating in baths, massage, cozy blankets, practicing mindfulness through journaling, focusing on growing spiritually through meditation or prayer.
In the Australian soap opera Neighbours, Jemima Davies-Smythe incorporates hygge into a redesign of her half-brother Karl Kennedy's living room.
The meaning and the format of their hygge is discussed in the poster and amongst the friends who meet regularly on Thursday nights for food, conversation, warmth, and knitting at the studio.
