Hygge: A word in Danish and Norwegian that describes a mood of coziness and "comfortable conviviality" with feelings of wellness and contentment. “Hygge” translates to the word “Fun”.
Author of the international best-seller “The Little Book of Hygge”, Meik Wiking spoke on his lifestyle of Hygge in an interview with Vice News in 2017.
“It’s been called the pursuit of everyday happiness,” he said. “It is part of our national DNA in Denmark, as freedom is in America.”
In recent years, Denmark remains at the top or near it on the World Happiness Report, while the United States has yet to breach the Top Ten and has been continually dropping down the list over the past five years.
Hygge avoids definition, Wiking continues to explain, “Some might say it is about sinful pleasures, {or} being consciously cozy, the art of creating a nice atmosphere.”
The question lingers, what can Americans adapt from the art of Hygge to create an atmosphere of happiness in our country?
I was introduced to the concept of Hygge during a class conducted by my Department Head Teacher at my place of work. She was also enchanted by the idea of Hygge and decided to introduce the concept to her classroom. She created an atmosphere of conscious comfortability, as her students sipped warm drinks, discussing connection-building questions in the warm low lights of her already cozy room.
At the conclusion of the interview, Danish Chef Claus Meyer states, “I don’t think {the Danish} have a monopoly on Hygge. It is the naming of it, and recognition that gives it that power.”
The idea of Hygge being universal to every culture, and every social atmosphere is the kind of collectivism as a human race that Americans tend to shelve below their individualistic ideals.
An example of this phenomenon in the American psyche is the contrast between the American work ethic, versus other countries. Such as in France, the legal work week of 35 hours (although a 32-hour work week is in the legislative works), and mandatory mid-day work breaks reflect the French ideal of pleasure- a facet of Hygge.
The elusive collectivist pursuit of that sweet, cozy decadent pleasure is not beyond the reach of American society. It is found in the every day, but it requires a pause- a breath to make space between each rush of capitalist consumption.