Hygge
Pronouncing the word may be a new experience, but picking up on the vibes is as old as time.
Hygge
Noun: Especially with reference to Danish culture: a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being; contentment from simple pleasures, such as warmth, food, friends, etc…
According to an article on the website denmark.dk ( the website is touted as the official website of Denmark) the Danish term hygge (pronounced “hoo-gah”) was added to the Oxford English dictionary in 2017. The term can be traced back to the Middle Ages where a similar Old Norse word meant "protected from the outside world." That fact alone is interesting (Lexicology and Etymology could be a blog post for another day…fascinating topics), but how can this ancient practice bring contentment and joy to your life in the 21st century?
How to tap into the hygge vibe
Hygge is often about informal time together with family or close friends. Typically, the setting is at home. There is no agenda. Celebrate the small joys of life. It is an opportunity to unwind and slow down a bit.
Meik Wiking, author of The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well, introduces this cornerstone of Danish life and offers advice and ideas on incorporating hygge into your own life. Some of Wiking’s principles of his Hygge Manifesto include:
- Atmosphere- Turn down the lights, light candles. Play soothing music.
- Presence- Be in the now. Turn off the phones.
- Pleasure- Coffee, chocolates, cookies, cakes and candy-indulge!
- Gratitude- Be thankful for all you have..
- Comfort- Take a break. Get comfy. It’s all about relaxation.
- Togetherness- Build or build on relationships. Gather together with those you love. Share stories with family and friends.
- Shelter- Make your home a space for comfort, peace and security.
Time now to read more about how you can bring the peaceful calm of hygge into your wintery world by checking out the following materials from your Yorktown Public Library.
ON THE LIBBY APP:
Hygge: The Danish Art of Happiness (Ebook) by Marie Tourell Søderberg
Whether it's listening to the rain with a cup of tea, or going on a long walk with a loved one, hygge can be harnessed all around us. We all know the feeling of hygge instinctively, but few of us ever manage to capture it for more than a moment. Now Danish actress and hygge aficionado Marie Tourell Søderberg has travelled the length and breadth of her home country to create the perfect guide to cooking, decorating and enjoying yourself, inspired the hygge way.
The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living (Ebook) by Meik Wiking
Embrace Hygge and become happier with this definitive guide to the Danish philosophy of comfort, togetherness, and well-being. Why are Danes the happiest people in the world? The answer, says Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, is Hygge. Loosely translated, Hygge is a sense of comfort, togetherness, and well-being. "Hygge is about an atmosphere and an experience," Wiking explains. "It is about being with the people we love. A feeling of home. A feeling that we are safe." Hygge is the sensation you get when you're cuddled up on a sofa, in cozy socks under a soft throw during a storm. It's that feeling when you're sharing comfort food and easy conversation with loved ones at a candlelit table. It is the warmth of morning light shining just right on a crisp blue-sky day.
This material is also available as an audio book.
The Book of Hygge: The Danish Art of Contentment, Comfort, and Connection (audio book) by Louisa Thomsen Brits
Hygge anchors us, reminding us to slow down, to connect with place and with one another, to dwell and savor rather than rush and spend. When you curl up by the fire with a blanket, or have a simple meal with friends-that is hygge. When you acknowledge the sacred in the secular, or focus on people rather than things, or when you express love through small gestures, that is hygge. The Book of Hygge is an invitation to welcome abundance and contentment into your life. It is a call to live more fully by focusing on what moves you.
This material is also available as an Ebook.
Hygge Delights: A Taste of Danish Café Cuisine (Ebook) by Clock Street Books
Step into the cozy world of Danish cafés with "Hygge Delights," a captivating cookbook that invites you to savor the warmth, comfort, and mouthwatering flavors of Danish café cuisine. Explore the charming ambiance, delightful treats, and rich traditions that have made Danish cafés beloved worldwide. From the first pages, you'll be transported to a world of hygge, the Danish concept of coziness and contentment. Discover the essence of Danish café culture as you dive into a delightful collection of recipes that capture the heart and soul of Danish culinary artistry.
To further immerse yourself into the practice of hygge, take a moment to snuggle under a blanket with a story from these Scandinavian authors.
(Remember to grab some popcorn and hot chocolate! Treat yourself!)
IN THE ADULT COLLECTION:
The Son: A Novel (audio book) by Jo Nesbo
Sonny Lofthus is a strangely charismatic and complacent young man. Sonny's been in prison for a dozen years, nearly half his life. The inmates who seek out his uncanny abilities to soothe leave his cell feeling absolved. They don't know or care that Sonny has a serious heroin habit--or where or how he gets his uninterrupted supply of the drug. Or that he's serving time for other peoples' crimes. Sonny took the first steps toward addiction when his father took his own life rather than face exposure as a corrupt cop. Now Sonny is the seemingly malleable center of a whole infrastructure of corruption: prison staff, police, lawyers, a desperate priest--all of them focused on keeping him high and in jail.
This material is also available as an Ebook.
Before the Frost (Linda Wallander #1) by Henning Mankell
The leader of a religious cult in Guyana instigates a mass suicide. He succeeds in killing himself and his whole flock of worshippers, save one. One man escapes. Inspector Wallander fears that these events could be the prelude to attacks on humans on a much greater scale. Before the Frost is a totally compelling and atmospheric crime story.
A Man Called Ove: A Novel by Fredrik Backman
Ove, a grumpy, isolated retiree who spends his days enforcing block association rules and visiting his wife's grave, decides to give up on life until an unlikely friendship develops with a boisterous young family that moves in next door.
The Hypnotist (Detective Inspector Joona Linna #1) by Lars Kepler
In the frigid clime of Tumba, Sweden, a gruesome triple homicide attracts the interest of Detective Inspector Joona Linna, who demands to investigate the murders. The killer is still at large, and there's only one surviving witness--the boy whose family was killed before his eyes. Whoever committed the crimes wanted this boy to die: he's suffered more than one hundred knife wounds and lapsed into a state of shock. Desperate for information, Linna sees only one option: hypnotism. He enlists Dr. Erik Maria Bark to mesmerize the boy, hoping to discover the killer through his eyes. It's the sort of work that Bark has sworn he would never do again--ethically dubious and psychically scarring. When he breaks his promise and hypnotizes the victim, a long and terrifying chain of events begins to unfurl.
ON THE LIBBY APP:
Black Seconds (Ebook) by Karin Fossum
Ida Joner gets on her brand-new bike and sets off toward town. A good-natured, happy girl, she is looking forward to her tenth birthday. Thirty-five minutes after Ida should have come home, her mother starts to worry. She phones store owners, Ida's friends--anyone who could have seen her. Suspicion immediately falls on Emil Mork, a local character who lives alone and hasn't spoken since childhood. His mother insists on cleaning his house weekly--although she's sometimes afraid of what she might find there. A mother's worst nightmare in either case--to lose a child or to think a child capable of murder.
The Royal Physician’s Visit (Ebook) by Per Olov Enquist
The Royal Physician's Visit magnificently recasts the dramatic era of Danish history when Johann Friedrich Struensee--court physician to mad young King Christian--stepped through an aperture in history and became the holder of absolute power in Denmark. His is a gripping tale of power, sex, love, and the life of the mind, and it is superbly rendered here by Sweden's most acclaimed writer. A charismatic German doctor and brilliant intellectual, Struensee used his influence to introduce hundreds of reforms in Denmark in the 1760s and had a tender and erotic affair with Queen Caroline Mathilde, who was unsatisfied by her unstable, childlike husband. And yet, his ambitions ultimately led to tragedy.
We, The Drowned (Ebook) by Carsten Jensen
The story of the port town of Marstal, Denmark, whose inhabitants sailed the world from the mid-nineteenth century to the end of the Second World War. The novel tells of ships wrecked and blown up in wars, of places of terror and violence that continue to lure each generation; there are cannibals here, shrunken heads, prophetic dreams, and miraculous survivals. The result is a brilliant seafaring novel, a gripping saga encompassing industrial growth, the years of expansion and exploration, the crucible of the first half of the twentieth century, and most of all, the sea.
This material is also available as an audio book.
Hygge and Kisses: The First Warm, Cosy and Romantic Hygge Novel (Ebook) by Clara Christensen
In the middle of her quarter-life crisis, a young woman takes a life-changing trip to Denmark and finds a fresh outlook on her life and love. Bo, twenty-six, has always been careful, cautious. However, she's just been made redundant and her life plan is beginning to unravel. Before she starts immediately applying for other jobs in a panic, her friend Kirsten persuades her to take a holiday, to visit Kirsten's mother's house in Aalborg, North Jutland. The summerhouse is cosy whatever the weather, and you never know who else will be around. Bo's life plan is about to be entirely rewritten.
Keep in mind that even though many of the materials I mentioned above are available on the Libby App, you can always request an inter library loan if you would like the physical book. Stop by the circulation desk for more information.
Board Game and Puzzle Swap
Your Yorktown Public Library has board games and puzzles available. Perfect for your “all things hygge” moments. The library has shelves full to choose from!
IN THE CD COLLECTION:
Garden Rain: Gentle, Tranquil, Reflective
Let your troubles melt away as a reflective morning rain shower gently weaves around a meditative, tranquil soundscape.
Enjoy the tranquil sounds and the soothing music.
Enjoy the power and the range of Sarah Vaughan on vocals, accompanied by a dance orchestra.
In These Silent Days in the Canyon Haze
This is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter and producer Brandi Carlile. Her music spans different genres including folk rock, alternative country, Americana, and classic rock.
Music helps create to a cozy atmosphere. These are but a few examples. Visit your Yorktown Public Library and peruse the CD collection and discover the right music for your hygge vibes.
IN THE DVD COLLECTION:
A Man Called Ove: A Novel by Fredrik Backman
Ove, a grumpy, isolated retiree who spends his days enforcing block association rules and visiting his wife's grave, decides to give up on life until an unlikely friendship develops with a boisterous young family that moves in next door. This movie is in Swedish with English subtitles.
BONUS: A Man Called Otto- This movie is based on the novel by Fredrik Backman and stars Tom Hanks.
Three crime dramas based on the best-selling books by Henning Mankell - Sidetracked, Firewall, and One Step Behind - follow Inspector Kurt Wallander, a disillusioned everyman, as he struggles against a rising tide of violence in southern Sweden.
Decadent foods play a major role in the feeling that is hygge, but if you don’t bake or don’t eat sugary goodies, you can still indulge via The Great British Baking Show.
Spend time with a talented group of passionate amateur bakers whose goal is to be named the U.K.'s best. Each week, the bakers tackle a different skill, the difficulty increasing as the competition unfolds. Season one is judged by Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood. Viewing The Great British Baking Show brings baked goods and good vibes right into your home-without lifting a single whisk! And if you love to bake, then on your mark, get set, bake! Your inspiration awaits!
How will you incorporate hygge into your everyday life?
Will you light candles? Play more music around the house? Will you host a game night or movie night with friends or treat yourself to a quiet evening with a good book? Hygge encourages you to be in the moment and celebrate the little instances that fill your daily life. So now is the time to get cozy, grab your favorite mug and pour yourself a hot beverage (French vanilla cappuccino is my fav!), grab a book by your favorite author and luxuriate in the serenity that is hygge.