Hygge (pronounced “hoo-gah”) is a Scandinavian word for a deep sense of cozy comfort, emotional well-being, and togetherness. It’s about finding joy in small, everyday things—fuzzy blankets, the fire crackling in the fireplace—and slowing down with close friends or family.
As we head into the busy winter holiday season, listed below are a few suggestions to help you slow down and achieve rest and coziness with the people most important in your life:
1. Simplify holiday meals.
You’re always the one to host Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner for a dozen guests or more. But the thought of accommodating that many people again this year is overwhelming.
Googling “creative ideas for holiday dinners” and adding a few inspirations of my own, here are some suggestions for a different and simpler way to celebrate (the fourth one is my personal favorite):
Friendsgiving Potluck Bonfire: Host an outdoor gathering at a local park or backyard with a fire pit, warm cider, and a simple soup bar.
Progressive Thanksgiving Dinner: Move from house to house in your neighborhood or in your friend group for each course—appetizers at the first; greens and fruit salads at the second; turkey and smashed potatoes at the third; and pie at the last.
Volunteer Together: Spend the early part of the day serving meals at a local community kitchen or food bank, then share a quiet, relaxed dinner with just your immediate household.
Pajama Movie Marathon: Stay in your pajamas all day, order gourmet takeout or assemble a massive grazing board—veggies with hummus, chips with dip, rolls with honey-butter, cheeses, sliced meats, olives, dried fruits, bite-sized pieces of pumpkin pie—and watch classic holiday movies.
2. Minimize holiday décor.
Consider keeping holiday decorations to a minimum this year. Instead of so many lights and bells and whistles, go for coziness. Burn candles scattered throughout the room. Drape soft blankets and fuzzy shawls over chairs and sofas. Throw in some plush pillows that can land on the couch or the floor.
If you’re putting up a tree, try simple strands of white lights—and nothing more—for an elegant look. Consider adding evergreen boughs to the decor.
For a holiday aroma, simmer a pot of water on the stove with citrus slices or cinnamon sticks. Play soft, calming music or instrumental tracks in the background.
3. Establish fun, easy traditions.
Set up a white board at the beginning of November. Encourage family members and guests to list the simple pleasures throughout the entire winter holiday season, not just during one week in November. Things like, snow falling, ice cream on apple pie, tonight’s family movie, helping mom make sugar cookies.
When our children were young, our customary Christmas Eve dinner consisted of deli sandwiches and clam chowder. Part of the tradition was a slumber party in front of the fireplace. The kids thought it great fun that their parents slept in sleeping bags with them.
4. Streamline gift giving.
A few years back, as our extended families were growing in leaps and bounds, we established a name-drawing system. Every family member chose one other family member to give a gift to.
Another year, we each brought a ridiculous gift that cost nothing. One at a time, gifts were unwrapped and ‘stolen’ amid much laughter. See general rules for a White Elephant Gift Exchange, but feel free to get creative with the guidelines to fit your family/friend group.
One year, our adult children suggested instead of gifts for each other, we all pool our resources for an animal or two through Heifer International (heifer.org), a non-profit that operates across Africa, Asia, and the Americas … “collaborating with communities to strengthen food systems and create opportunities for smallholder farmers to earn income and thrive.” There was an added sweetness in the air that year as we reflected on making a difference in the lives of other people instead of adding to our already crammed-full homes and lives.
5. Stay connected with your people.
Plan unhurried, quality time with family or close friends. Simple comfort foods on a charcuterie board set on the coffee table, hot cider simmering in a Crockpot, and a coffee bar nearby replete with tea bags and packets of hot chocolate.
Try the conversation-creating activity called Table Talk. It’s a box of cards filled with questions, such as, “If your pet could speak, what would they tell us about you?” “What advice would you give to your 10-year-old self?” “What is the weirdest food you have ever eaten?” (Or make up your own questions!) We’ve played this game over dinner tables during non-holiday times, as well. It’s a great way to hear from everyone at the table.
It’s about connection
It was Nanea Hoffman who said:
“You’ll always remember the conversations that suddenly turned deep and the way it felt to be trusted with a tender secret. These kinds of connections stay with us always.”
The above ideas for creating “cozy comfort” are about relationship with people, and how we can generate memories and quality time together as we lean toward simpler, cozier, and more relaxed spaces for ourselves and our loved ones.
They’re also about relationship with our Creator God. About simplifying our desperately hectic lives and slowing down to sit still with him.
“Be still, and know that I am God …” – Psalm 46:10
The idea is to keep things as stress-free as possible, and to notice the graces all around us—the grace of life and health, of family and friendship, of freedom and abundance. Because paying attention and speaking gratitude helps create deep contentment.
If hygge—slowing down and going all cozy, expressing gratitude, hanging with our people and with God—is the secret to a more content life, then what can you do to create hygge for yourself and your family this holiday season? I’d love to hear some of your ideas!
