Hyggeligt

A Late Summer Eve, Midtfyn - Sept 2014

The Danish notion of hygge has gotten a lot of press this Fall/Winter — at least in the social network circles that I run in. Pronounced something like ‘HYU-gah’  it translates roughly into a feeling of warmth/coziness/togetherness/contentment. 

Considering myself half-a-step ahead of the pop-culture curve on this one, I’m glad to report that it was hygge was something I ran into time and time again during my visit to Denmark:

• It was a garden party with neighbors, barbecue, laughter, fresh vegetables, blooming flowers, and hot air balloons floating overhead.

• It was after-dinner coffee, fresh-baked desserts, and stories about those who came before us.

• It was lunch in a greenhouse with a beekeeper overlooking farm fields.

• It was a cafe in a busy public square and a candlelit apartment that evening, welcomed by strangers turned friends.

It was, and is, a way of life and a state of being — the closest comparison I’ve experienced is the starehe vibe of the Swahili coast and the the quasi-taoist sensibilities I’ve acquired along the way in Asia.

It was, and is, something that I aspire to find in my day to day life - another piece of my heritage to reclaim.