Have you heard of the word "hygge"(小确幸)? It's Danish, representing a lifestyle practiced by Danish people.
There is no English word for the exact meaning of "hygge", according to Oxford Dictionaries. It might be translated to "comfort" in English, but it is more than that.
Enjoying beautiful music or having a movie night is hygge. Lighting candles or making real tea in china cups－that's hygge too. There's nothing more hygge than sitting around a table with your family or friends, discussing the big and small things in life. Hygge pays attention to making ordinary daily activities special or meaningful, according to the BBC.
For Danish people, hygge is a way of fighting the cold winter, although it doesn't have to be a winter-only thing. In Denmark, there can be up to 17 hours of darkness per day in winter, and the average temperature is around 0℃, according to the BBC. As a result, people spend more time indoors and relax themselves.
Now the idea of hygge is traveling abroad and becoming fashionable in some other countries too. In the United Kingdom and the United States, there are more and more hygge-themed cookbooks and lifestyle guides, as well as Danish restaurants, cafes and bars.
"The rest of the world seems to be slowly waking up to whatDanes(丹麦人) have been wise to for ages," Helen Russell, author of The Year of Living Danishly, told the BBC.
| Hygge: a word representing a Danish | |
| does it mean in English? | It might be translated to comfort, but there is no English word for the meaning of it . |
| How is it achieved? | Hygge ordinary daily activities special, or meaningful, for example, having a movie night. |
| is it necessary in Denmark? | It is cold there in winter. There can be as many as 17 hours of each day. Therefore, Danish people spend more time themselves. |
| Its spread | Hygge is becoming in countries such as the UK and the US. Hygge-themed and lifestyle guides are popular. There are Danish restaurants, cafes and bars as well. |
| Helen Russell's idea | The rest of the world seems to slowly what Danes (丹麦人) have been wise to for ages. |
