Alaska Life

Go Danish this winter by adding a little hygge to your life

Comfort-seekers, fuzzy slipper-wearers, hot chocolate-drinkers, be glad. There's a word for what you wish for, and it's taking cold-weather climates by storm.

Hygge (pronounced hue-guh) is the latest winter fad, with stories appearing in home and lifestyle magazines, blogs and even morning television.

Originating in Danish communities but practiced in one form or another all across Scandinavia, hygge (or hyggeligt — being hygge-like) is a northerner's key to cold-weather emotional survival.

Similar to the German concept of gemütlichkeit and the Dutch idea of gezelligheid, the lifestyle hygge celebrates has been a key part of Danish culture since the early 1800s, when the word first appeared in the written language (it derives from a Norwegian word for "well-being," and my Norwegian friend tells me I am pronouncing it all wrong).

Roughly translating into a feeling of coziness, contentment and joy in the company of family and friends, hygge is less a practice than it is a sense of kinship with both the environment and the people within it. There's no ill will toward the season of darkness, snow, ice and frigid temperatures, only a commitment to enrich the spirit within it.

Author Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen (yes, that's a real place), wrote a best-seller titled "The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets of Happy Living."

I'm about halfway through, having pledged to read a chapter every night in front of a roaring fire, a glass of wine at my elbow, a dog or two sleeping on the rug by my feet.

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I'm sold already.

Unlike many lifestyle crazes that come and go (feng shui only made me doubt my skills in interior design), the idea of hygge is sticking, especially as my family transitions into the depths of our 12th Alaska winter.

Why? Maybe it's the fact there's nothing to buy, learn or download in order to find it. Hygge, Wiking says in his book, only requires consciousness, being present in the "now" and letting the feeling of simplicity wash over you.

I spent last weekend at Manitoba Cabin just off the Seward Highway, guiding a crowd of parents and kids in the ways of outdoor fun in Alaska's wild spaces. While the children, ranging in age from 4 to 13, rushed around playing tag and constructing shelters from downed branches, we adults shared our tips for navigating the upcoming season of darkness and falling temperatures over steaming cups of tea and coffee.

It is important to note that a critical element of hygge involves the outdoors; after all, hygge is not shorthand for "hibernation," and we humans are not designed for such a state.

We returned from our weekend a richer family, tasked with deciding our own ways to celebrate the coming of winter. Try one or two this year. After all, snow is in the forecast.

Light up the night

An essential tool of hygge is light derived from natural forms like candles, fireplaces or lanterns.

While intuition tells us to turn on more lights during the winter, hygge supports the notion of turning down the artificial lights and turning up the cozy, warm glows that only come from smaller light and heat sources.

I've begun burning candles during dinner and switching off the overhead lights. Like magic, an ordinary meal becomes something special, causing us all to linger around the table together.

Start a fire in the wood stove or fireplace a few nights a week (make sure your chimney has been cleaned before you do) and cozy up with a good book.

We like to utilize our outdoor fire pit in the backyard on clear winter nights, roasting marshmallows and sipping hot drinks as we gaze up at the stars or northern lights.

Cook together

Winter means comfort food, and many of our family favorites are simple enough for kids to assist with preparation.

During our trip to Manitoba Cabin we dished up a Dutch oven chili that simmered over hot coals for two hours, creating a rich, filling meal.

Corn muffins brought from home were wrapped in foil and placed on top of the wood stove, and for dessert, my son helped roll oats, butter, cocoa powder and brown sugar together for a no-bake cookie that went spectacularly well with hot chocolate.

Make something for someone

The holidays aren't far off, so this is a great time to help kids fashion some nature-themed gifts.

Christmas tree ornaments are easy with twigs, wood glue, yarn or wire, and a bit of help from mom and dad. Older kids can fashion shapes out of the twigs, using the wire and yarn to hold things together. Younger children may find it simpler to glue twigs to cardboard and then cut out shapes.

I often turn to The Spruce (thespruce.com) for craft ideas, especially when working with kids of multiple ages.

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Bring the outdoors inside

String cranberries to hang from your window sills; create bouquets of long, slender branches from small trees or shrubs; hang handmade ornaments or white lights.

Let the kids start an indoor herb garden. Hang bird feeders near a window (once the bears go to sleep), and watch the winter hold-overs snack while you observe their habits.

Create rituals

One reason the holidays bring such joy is the sacredness of rituals, religious or otherwise. Pledge to do things with a mindfulness of ritual, be it lighting candles every evening, hosting a sledding party once a month or simply committing to sit-down dinners every week using the fancy dishes you've been storing in the garage since your wedding.

Create a lifetime of moments this winter, and let me know how it goes.

Erin Kirkland is author of the Alaska On the Go guidebook series and publisher of AKontheGO.com.

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