Beat the winter blahs — how to entertain hygge style
These beeswax pillar candles can create comfort and warmth. Armania dish towels can be used as napkins to give your hygge hangout. Fill this colbalt mug with something warm to sip on, then get all cosy.
It’s January, it’s cold, and a big warm blanket and Netflix may be your idea of getting through winter. But connecting with people, in real life, might be one of the most important acts of self-care you can do for yourself and your happiness.
Denmark has consistently ranked as one of the happiest countries in the world, and what may set it apart from other countries who rank high on the happiness scale, including Canada, is hygge. Hygge (pronounced hoo-gah) is a Danish term that loosely translates as a feeling of comfort, contentment, and cosiness achieved through gatherings with friends or family, in a warm and inviting atmosphere, and the Danes are experts at it.
Meik Wiking, author of The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well and CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, says that spending time with other people is a key part of hygge. In his bestselling book, Wiking explains that while you can hygge by yourself it’s also about togetherness. “Time spent with others creates an atmosphere that is warm, relaxed, friendly, down-to-earth, close, comfortable, snug and welcoming. In many ways, it is like a good hug — but without the physical contact.”
Ana Diez, an entrepreneur, and her husband Jeff Douglas, who co-hosts the popular CBC radio show As It Happens, have been entertaining in their own hygge style for the past few winters. The couple say it started with a group of friends they regularly met after church for drinks at a local pub and found it was getting expensive. So, instead they decided to gather at their home located in Toronto’s west-end.
“It’s always very low-key. Quiet conversation, silence, the fireplace channel, red wine is favoured and a lot of blankets … it’s restorative, sitting around with people we are comfortable with, very relaxed,” Douglas says. “Right,” says Diez, “It’s winter and it’s long and you are looking for things to do to break up the monotony.”
The couple’s approach to hygge entertaining is to take the stress out of having people over by keeping the focus on just being together. They say it’s about impromptu, relaxed entertaining. For them, that means not worrying about having their house in perfect order, using what’s in the fridge or pantry. Everyone contributes, but the agreement is to just bring what they have. The result, they say, is a feeling of relaxation and connection that makes them feel good.
“People will show up with half a bottle of wine or half a rotisserie chicken,” says Douglas. “For us, our version of hygge, the comfy factor of hygge, was who was there. You are comfortable with them and there is no pretense … it’s about being together. The spirit of hygge is not in preparation but in the spontaneity.”
Entertaining hygge style is a relaxed and low stress approach to spending time with people. So why not host your own hygge style dinner party? Invite your friends over and follow these tips to host a cosy, relaxed evening.
Keep it intimate. Smaller groups of people make entertaining simpler. Try inviting just a few friends over, perhaps three or four to keep the circle small. Set expectations. Whether your style is a very informal, potluck style invitation to bring what you have in the fridge or something a little more planned but simple — such as a bowl of chili, mac and cheese or a hearty soup — you’ll want to let your guests know what to expect. Remind guests to dress comfortably. Create a warm and cosy atmosphere. Lighting is key — limit stark overhead lighting and focus on mood lighting. Warm up your space with dimmable lights or hang string lights across the room. The warm glow of real candles is essential for optimal hygge. Fill glass jars with tealights, group pillar candles together on a tray, as a table centrepiece. Try wax LED candles in windows and areas where they won’t be supervised to keep it safe.
Beeswax pillar candles
June Home Supply $16.00-35.00 CAD www.junehomesupply.com
Create comfort and warmth – have a basket of cosy blankets for guests to curl up with and a few pillows to make it comfortable to sit on the floor.
Mirrored block throws
West Elm Canada $66.00 www.westelm.ca
Wool-blend pillow
LemonTree + Co. Interiors $75.00 CAD www.lemontreeandco.com Keep things simple, don’t try to make things perfect. Set the table with things that make you happy – creating a cosy, comfortable atmosphere is about how things feel. When setting the table don’t worry about whether things match, let it be a hodge podge of mis-matched plates and cutlery. Set out bowls so guests can help themselves. Don’t even think about ironing that tablecloth.
Casa Cubista crosshatch bowl
Saudade $24.50 CAD www.saudadetoronto.com
Use soft, cotton, easy wash dish towels as napkins. Paper might be tempting but it doesn’t feel good to the touch and besides, it’s not very eco-friendly. If you have time, go for a walk to forage for something green, maybe a fallen branch or greenery to decorate the table. Serve everything family style using big platters.
Armania dish towels
V de V Maison $6.37 www.vdevmaison.com Share a simple, relaxed meal together. Get your guests involved – don’t try to do it all, whether that’s making it a potluck or inviting friends into the kitchen to help with the cooking, it will make ev- eryone feel involved. The food should be about comfort, warmth and feeding the soul. A pot of anything warm will do just fine. Soup is very hyggelig. Look for easy recipes that are simple and nourishing.
Uncomplicated: Taking the Stress Out of Home Cooking by Claire Tansey
Indigo $25.00 CAD www.chapters.indigo.ca
Le Creuset Signature Flame 2.75-quart round Dutch oven
Crate and Barrel Canada $211.37 www.crateandbarrel.com Sip warm drinks – is there anything cosie r than wrapping your hands around a warm mug? The drinks should be low maintenance, whether that’s a bottle of wine or a pot of warm cider.
p’sifik cobalt mug
g ceramic and co. $44.00 CAD gceramicandco.com
Above all, slow down – don’t rush, linger over drinks, dinner etc. and enjoy the very hygge moment.