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1-Page Summary of The Little Book of Hygge
Overview
Hygge is a Danish word that’s pronounced “hoo-gah.” It means comfort and coziness. The concept of hygge is so important to the Danes that there’s even a dictionary entry for it. Hygge isn’t something you can buy, but it does have five defining characteristics: Candles are an essential part of creating an atmosphere of hygge. If your surroundings feel genuine, they’re more likely to be hyggeligt. In other words, if you’re trying too hard or spending money on things just to make yourself feel cozy, then you won’t achieve true happiness with this approach. People are also necessary in order to create a feeling of being at home and comfortable with each other (which is what makes them happy). You don’t need much in life — all you really need is love and some good food!
Light
Lighting is very important when trying to create a mood. If the lighting is too bright, you can see everyone’s pores and it will ruin the romance. On the other hand, if it’s too dim, you’ll trip over things in your home. Candles are crucial for creating hygge because they provide low light that creates a relaxing ambiance. Danes burn about 13 pounds of candles every year on average and 96% of them use candles regularly. 30% of Danes light candles every day and more than 30% light more than five at once even though many people think candlelight makes everyone look better. Although Denmark gets an average of 179 days of rain per year, most Danish homes don’t have fluorescent lights or ceiling lights with LEDs; they only use lamps lit by small golden bulbs around their homes which provides an intimate glow rather than harsh white fluorescents that cause eye strain.
We Need to Talk About Hygge
Denmark is a country where the word “hygge” (pronounced hue-guh) means coziness. It’s an important concept in Denmark, but it also has some similarities to other languages as well. In America, we have similar ideas of comfort and togetherness. For example, when you’re at home with your friends or family, you might enjoy eating something warm and drinking hot cocoa by candlelight while listening to soft music on the stereo. The candles create a nice glow that helps people feel cozy inside their homes. People associate good food with being hygge because Danes like to eat things that are warm and comforting, such as breads and stews. Another way they make themselves comfortable is through dim lighting that makes them feel relaxed. When dining out in Denmark, people want restaurants that are hyggeligt (funny how even Danish words sound better when pronounced correctly). They don’t want loud places with bright lights; instead they look for cozy atmospheres where everyone can relax and connect over dinner. Hygge originated from Norway many years ago since both countries were once under one kingdom. There are several theories about what exactly hygge means: it could be derived from hug (“to embrace”) or it may come from Old Norse meaning “comfort.” No matter its origin, Danes use this word all the time—as nouns, verbs, adjectives—and there seems to be no limit on how this word can be used!
Togetherness
People who have friends are happier than those who do not have close relationships. Research shows that people with a strong social circle are happier, even when they don’t share the same interests and values. People tend to be happiest when they come together to share experiences instead of constantly sending each other messages through technology. In fact, having thousands of “happy birthday” wishes on Facebook is no better than receiving five greetings from real friends in person. Money does not make people happy if it’s spent alone; rather, satisfaction comes from spending money on others or sharing meaningful moments with loved ones. The difference between Denmark and the rest of Europe may be attributed to their time spent interacting with their communities because Danes leave work early whereas most Europeans stay at work until 5:30 p.m., leaving no time for after-work gatherings or family dinners due to long hours at the office. It isn’t surprising that hygge (the Danish way of creating intimacy) involves spending time with loved ones since touching others makes us feel warm and secure by releasing oxytocin into our bloodstreams, which causes bonding feelings between parents and children. On one hand, this helps prevent families from hurting each other during conflicts ; however, too much touch can lead t o isolation as well. A major risk associated with hygge is becoming overly comfortable in your own cozy little group without making new friends outside of it, but once you’re part o f a trusted network, you’ll never want for companionship again.
