Chances are you’ve heard or seen the word hygge (pronounced hoo-geh) in the past few years. It’s been doing the rounds as a trendy internet lifestyle philosophy promising to transform your life into a paragon of cosy calm – filled with fluffy socks, cushions and candles. But the word’s deeper meaning is linked to survival and practicality and there’s good reason we’re so drawn to it.
Originating from the Old Norse word (referring to an understanding of the ‘inner self’), this now primarily Danish word has made a big impact on the world since 2016, when it was popularised outside the Scandinavian countries from which it originated. Now, you can buy any number of items that claim to instantly add hygge to your life and countless books teaching the art of cosy living. Depending where you look, you’ll be told all manner of things about what it means and how to ‘get it’.
