Hygge (pronounced “hoo-gah”) is a Scandinavian word for a deep sense of cozy comfort, emotional well-being, and togetherness. It’s about finding joy in small, everyday things, such as fuzzy blankets, the fire crackling in the fireplace, and slowing down with close friends or family.
Occasionally, there are times in which the best option for your physical, mental, and emotional health is to stop, step away, and say “No” to most things you’re asked. If anyone wonders why you’re taking a break, you could say something like, “I’m trying to create hygge for myself and my family.”
As we head into the busy winter holiday season, listed below are a few suggestions to help you slow down and achieve rest and coziness with the people most important in your life.
5 Ways to Create a Cozy Hallmark Feeling in Your Home This Season
1. Simplify holiday meals.
You’re always the one to host Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner for a dozen guests or more. But the thought of accommodating that many people again this year is overwhelming.
Googling “creative ideas for holiday dinners” and adding a few inspirations of my own, here are some suggestions for a different, fun, simpler way to celebrate (the fourth one is my personal favorite):
- Friendsgiving Potluck Bonfire: Host an outdoor gathering at a local park or backyard with a fire pit, warm cider, and a simple soup bar.
- Progressive Dinner: Move to a different neighbor or friend’s house for each course—appetizers at the first; greens and fruit salads at the second; turkey and smashed potatoes at the third; and pie at the last.
- Volunteer Together: Spend the morning serving meals at a local community kitchen or food bank, then share a quiet, relaxed dinner with just your immediate household.
- Pajama Movie Marathon: Stay in your pajamas all day, order gourmet takeout or assemble a massive grazing board—crackers, cheeses, sliced meats, olives, chips with dip, veggies with hummus, dried fruits, chocolate-covered caramels—and watch classic holiday movies.
2. Minimalize holiday décor.
Consider keeping holiday decorations to a minimum this year. Instead of so many lights and bells and whistles, go for coziness. Burn candles scattered throughout the room. Drape soft blankets and fuzzy shawls over chairs and sofas. Throw in some plush pillows that can land on the couch or the floor.
If you’re putting up a tree, try strands of white lights for an elegant look.
Consider adding evergreen boughs into the decor. Simmer a pot of water on the stove with citrus slices or cinnamon sticks. Play soft, calming music or instrumental tracks in the background.
3. Establish fun, easy traditions.
When our kids were young, our customary Christmas Eve dinner consisted of deli sandwiches and clam chowder. Part of the tradition was a slumber party in front of the fireplace. The kids thought it great fun that their parents slept in sleeping bags with them.
Set up a white board at the beginning of November. Encourage family members and guests to list the simple, everyday joys throughout the entire winter holiday season, not just during one week in November. Things like, snow falling, whipped cream on pumpkin pie, tonight’s family movie, helping mom make sugar cookies.
4. Streamline gift giving.
One year, our adult children suggested we all pool our resources for an animal or two through Heifer International (heifer.org), a nonprofit that operates across Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Heifer International “collaborates with communities to strengthen food systems and create opportunities for smallholder farmers to earn income and thrive.” There was an added sweetness in the air that year as we reflected on making a difference in the lives of other people instead of adding to our already crammed-full homes and lives.
A few years back, as our extended families were growing in leaps and bounds, we established a name-drawing system. Every family member chose one other family member to give a gift to.
Another year, we each brought a ridiculous gift that cost us nothing. One at a time, gifts were unwrapped and ‘stolen,’ amid much laughter. See general rules for a White Elephant Gift Exchange, but feel free to get creative with the guidelines to fit your family/friend group.
5. Stay connected with your people.
Plan unhurried, quality time with family or close friends. Simple comfort foods on a charcuterie board set on the coffee table, hot cider simmering in a Crockpot, and a coffee bar nearby replete with tea bags and packets of hot chocolate.
Try the conversation-creating activity called Table Talk. It’s a box of cards filled with questions, such as, “If your pet could speak, what would they tell us about you?” “What advice would you give to your 10-year-old self?” “What is the weirdest food you have ever eaten?” (Or make up your own questions!) We’ve played this game over dinner tables during non-holiday times, as well. It’s a great way to hear from everyone at the table.
Hygge Is About Connection
These ideas are about people, and how we can create memories and quality time together as we lean toward simpler, cozier, more relaxed spaces for ourselves and our loved ones.
The idea is to keep things as trouble-free as possible, and to notice the graces all around us—the grace of life and health, of family and friendship, of freedom and abundance. Because paying attention and speaking gratitude helps create deep contentment.
If hygge—slowing down and going all cozy, expressing gratitude, appreciating the people in our lives—is the secret to a more content life, then what can you do to create hygge for yourself and your family this holiday season? I’d love to hear some of your ideas!
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Photo by Seda/Pexels
