A couple of weeks ago, Annabel from The Blubirds are Nesting on the Farm shared a post about pure wool blankets and being prepared for winter. Winter is well and truly upon us here in Australia. For some, that has brought flash flooding and enormous amounts of rain, for others, it means snow, heavy frosts, colder than average temperatures, fog, damaging winds and more. It is easy to be overwhelmed by harsh weather patterns, especially as we hear talk of climate change exacerbating these already unpredictable patterns. Like Annabel, I think there is plenty we can do to be prepared and I chose to look at this topic from a warm and cosy perspective - hygge.
Unless you have been living under a rock for the last few years, I'm sure you've all heard about the Danish concept of hygge It is what is often attributed to the Danes being amongst the happiest people in the world. I think that the classic novels do wonderfully well to highlight the importance of hygge in our lives, though it isn't necessarily called that. Read on for some wonderfully cosy hygge tips, inspired by one of our favourite classic novels, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.
“ What a cozy room this is!”
“It might be if it was kept nice, but the maids are lazy, and I don’t know how to make them mind. It worries me though.”
“I’ll right it up in two minutes, for it only needs to have the hearth brushed, so—and the things made straight on the mantelpiece, so—and the books put here, and the bottles there, and your sofa turned from the light, and the pillows plumped up a bit. Now then, you’re fixed.”
And so he was, for, as she laughed and talked, Jo had whisked things into place and given quite a different air to the room. Laurie watched her in respectful silence, and when she beckoned him to his sofa, he sat down with a sigh of satisfaction, saying gratefully...
“How kind you are! Yes, that’s what it wanted."
It's funny how easily Jo March was able to hygge-fy Laurie's reception room in such a short amount of time! She could see exactly what the space needed to be comfortable, cosy and welcome: a little bit of something yummy to eat, fun kittens to play with, the right lighting, a quick tidy up and comfortable seating. Nothing new was brought in, nothing elaborate was done to this room. Hygge is all about simplicity, rustic and natural environments and Laurie could easily appreciate the atmosphere of welcome and cosiness brought to his room, which his own maids had been unable to accomplish.
Atmospheric candlelight and sounds
Thursday
Yesterday was a quiet day spent in teaching, sewing, and writing in my little room, which is very cozy, with a light and fire.
In his book,The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well, Meik Wiking has a whole chapter dedicated to lighting. It plays an incredibly important part in creating a hyggelig atmosphere. In Jo's diary entry above, she talks about her cosy little space, with a light and a fire. The only sounds in this room, I imagine, would have been the crackling fire, her pen scratching on paper, and perhaps the simple sounds of sewing: scissors snipping, needles pulled through fabric. There should never be too much noise in a hygge environment. "Actually," says Wiking, "hygge mainly has to do with the absence of sounds, which enables you to hear even very quiet noises such as rain drops on the roof, wind blowing outside the window, the sound of trees waving in the wind, or of wooden planks that yield when you walk on them." In case you think that a hygge home can only be created in winter, think again. Imagine the sound of ice clinking on the inside of a glass, birds twittering in the all morning, perhaps a sprinkler watering the lawn at dusk, or an outdoor fire crackling happily as marshmallows are being toasted.
Working Together to Create a Hygge Space
I don’t think the Parian Psyche Laurie gave lost any of its beauty because John put up the bracket it stood upon, that any upholsterer could have draped the plain muslin curtains more gracefully than Amy’s artistic hand, or that any store-room was ever better provided with good wishes, merry words, and happy hopes than that in which Jo and her mother put away Meg’s few boxes, barrels, and bundles, and I am morally certain that the spandy new kitchen never could have looked so cozy and neat if Hannah had not arranged every pot and pan a dozen times over, and laid the fire all ready for lighting the minute ‘Mis. Brooke came home’. I also doubt if any young matron ever began life with so rich a supply of dusters, holders, and piece bags, for Beth made enough to last till the silver wedding came round, and invented three different kinds of dishcloths for the express service of the bridal china.
This is one of my favourite hygge tips. I love the thought of everyone working together to create a loving and welcoming environment. We know that the March family is very close, and of course the girls would all want to help Meg set up her first home as a married woman. How can this inspire us in our own homes, especially if we have lived here for a long time and already set up with everything we need? Think of housework - everyone can help: vacuuming or sweeping the floors, tidying the lounges, folding blankets, dusting the surfaces, baking, making tea, lighting candles and drawing curtains closed. There is a job for everyone and a job for every age. "Hygge is humble and slow," writes Wiking, and by sharing the chores we are sharing the humility and appreciating and the together-ness that it can inspire.
Get outdoors
It was a rather pretty little picture, for the sisters sat together in the shady nook, with sun and shadow flickering over them, the aromatic wind lifting their hair and cooling their hot cheeks, and all the little wood people going on with their affairs as if these were no strangers but old friends. Meg sat upon her cushion, sewing daintily with her white hands, and looking as fresh and sweet as a rose in her pink dress among the green. Beth was sorting the cones that lay thick under the hemlock near by, for she made pretty things with them. Amy was sketching a group of ferns, and Jo was knitting as she read aloud.
This atmospheric scenes is as full of hygge as one with crackling fires, and a storm raging outside. Sketching, reading, sewing, knitting, playing with nature are all wonderfully hygge activities that can be enjoyed outside on a warm spring or summer day. Being quietly together, enjoying each other's company and participating in very hyggelig activities is what matters most, not what people are wearing, if anyone is recording it for a social media post, or worrying about what others might think. Other warm weather activities can include: picking berries or apples (and then making some delicious jam with them), barbecues or picnics, bonfires, star gazing, hiking, beach visits, reading or simple crafts. Sounds heavenly, don't you think?
We have so much to learn from not only classic novels, but from different cultures around the world on how to live well. I was amazed at how hygge Little Women was and loved reading through the book in preparation for this post. There are many more examples I could give, but I suggest, if this topic interests you, that you grab a drink, a little corner in the sun and dive into the book for yourself - a perfect hygge activity!
Can you think of other classic novels that celebrate the Danish concept of hygge? The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame is another one that comes to mind. I hope you can find the time this weekend to have a little hygge moment. Thanks for stopping by.
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