I've been reading - with enjoyment - Meik Wiking's The Little Book of Hygge, an entertaining look at the Danish concept which has had attracted much comment and interest furth of Denmark in recent times. One passage particularly caught my eye and I offer it here as food for thought:
Talking about the many necessities for a good Danish Christmas, the author says, "All the preparations for a hyggelig Christmas are quite often stressful and, indeed, not very hyggelige. Now, this may seem a bit contradictory, but it actually makes sense. Hygge is only possible if it stands in opposition to something which is not hygge*. It is essential for the concept of hygge that it constitutes an alternative to everything that is not hyggeligt in our everyday lives. For a brief moment, hygge protects us against that which is not hyggeligt. There must be anti-hygge for hygge to be valuable...
Remember my friend who commented that the only way our time in the cabin could be more hyggelig was if a storm broke outside? This is hygge. The more it sets the here and now apart from the tough realities of the outside world, the more valuable it becomes."
*my italics
I read Michael Booth's The Almost Nearly Perfect People earlier this year and he (having spent years living in Denmark) is very critical about the Danish obsession with hygge. He makes a persuasive case for it being a very exclusionary and highly codified ritual, making it difficult (if not impossible) for immigrants to adapt to. He is also bothered by how conformist the definition of hygge is (a French-style intellectual debate, he explains, is definitely non-hygge - too much conflict). It's a fascinating perspective.
Posted by: Claire (The Captive Reader) | 27 September 2016 at 03:58 AM
Yes, Meik Wiking does touch on the exclusive side of hygge, and I can see how a hot debate wouldn't fit in with the 'quiet life' aspect!
Posted by: Cornflower | 27 September 2016 at 09:18 AM
Claire beat me to it! I am always a little suspicious (and you may reasonably ask me where my evidence is) about these things. Intellectual conflict, appropriately handled by all parties to not become a personal issue, is surely to be welcomed.
I suspect that there are few societies other than the one I currently live in (British) where I would feel at home.
Posted by: Dark Puss | 27 September 2016 at 08:23 PM
Maybe there's a time and place for intellectual conflict, and one for quiet, easy companionship!
Posted by: Cornflower | 27 September 2016 at 08:58 PM
I have a Swedish son in law and we've talked about hygge and I feel, although he's patient, as if I can't quite grasp the essence of what he's telling me. Of course it means different things to different people but I think it's almost impossible to explain and has to have been absorbed as a native Scandanavian. As you can tell I'm finding words to express hygge difficult in this comment. I'be ordered a couple of books from the library - perhaps that'll help!
PS He's also quite amused by the hype this is generating in the UK.
Posted by: Claire | 28 September 2016 at 10:13 AM
Yes, it's become quite a thing over here, even if we don't entirely understand it!
Posted by: Cornflower | 28 September 2016 at 10:55 AM
So much housework goes into achieving hygge. And actually doing housework is the epitome of anti-hygge. Unless you're one of those odd people who enjoys it!
Posted by: Mary | 28 September 2016 at 04:55 PM
That's a very good point, Mary!
As I was washing the kitchen floor yesterday I thought that I must re-read Kay Smallshaw's "How to run your home without help" ...
Posted by: Cornflower | 28 September 2016 at 05:12 PM
I think Kay Smallshaw would drive you to a nervous breakdown - which isn't very hyggeligt.
Is it too late to write the Little Book of Hygge and Valium for the Christmas market, do you think?
Posted by: Mary | 28 September 2016 at 06:07 PM
Go for it!
Posted by: Cornflower | 28 September 2016 at 06:38 PM
Oh, I love this book by Kay Smallshaw, it's a gem but totally of its time. But then, I'm addicted to such books ... it doesn't mean I take their advice, har, har!
Margaret P
Posted by: Margaret Powling | 28 September 2016 at 10:24 PM
I loved The Year of Living Danishly and have ordered this book. Well, when I saw it had been published, along with several others of this kind, I ordered it. Then I cancelled the order thinking "do I really need someone to instruct me in how to be cosy? Can't I do that myself?" and the answer was No, I didn't need someone to instruct me. Then I saw your review and was tempted yet again ... it's on its way to me as we speak! I shall blame you, Karen, if it's a load of Danish nonsense! (Only joking!)
Posted by: Margaret Powling | 28 September 2016 at 10:26 PM
Do we need such books? That's a good question, Margaret.
This one is quite slight - after all, there are only so many times you can repeat the 'snuggle up under a blanket, light a candle, drink coffee and read a good book' instruction, but I'm interested in the ethos which underpins the specifics, and the passage I quoted above certainly made me think (because of its wider implications).
Posted by: Cornflower | 29 September 2016 at 08:28 AM
Well, if nothing else, I have ordered the Kay Smallshaw book. It sounds far more interesting than the main subject of your posting. My own personal Hygge is mostly achieved in winter by cosying up in my bed with a book, a glass of wine a hot-water bottle and fairy lights. Those nights are the ones when I sleep best.
Posted by: Toffeeapple | 30 September 2016 at 10:49 AM
Absolutely there is, but I am not sure I would go for such a structured (and if I understand correctly somewhat cliquish) approach to it. Now maybe I have completely misunderstood and I must state right away that I have read little about this other than a number of reviews of this book and other related books, but the very comment from Claire on this weblog that you have to be a native Scandinavian to understand it suggests that it has an exclusive aspect that just does not appeal to me. I guess that I'd love to be a guest at one of these events but that probably if I had that time to put the effort into providing such an environment I would choose to spend it trying to solve some of those "outsider" issues that it looks as though people are trying to escape from. Anyway I am sure you will return with your own experiences and I am also sure I will learn from them!
Posted by: Dark Puss | 01 October 2016 at 02:54 PM
I'm sceptical about the marketing trend hygge is turning into - it's quickly becoming one of those words that makes me wince a little when I hear it (and it seems like an extension of mindfulness which does the same). Interesting comments here which I'm glad to have read - though they do rather reinforce my prejudices!
Posted by: Desperate Reader | 03 October 2016 at 09:09 PM