Things I love about winter: hygge!

Yes, its been less than a year and I've already adopted a local term. Anyone who has lived here will know why. Before I moved to Denmark I read and heard about the concept of 'hygge', which doesn't have a direct translation to English but it means something like 'cosy' but can also mean 'fun'. It conjured up for me an image of candles burning on winter nights and the warmth and 'cosiness' of indoors while Jack frost snaps at the door. Apparently its more than just the setting as it includes the contentment and happiness that is felt when surrounded by loved ones.

A bit like parenthood, however, it wasn't a concept I really grasped until I experienced it for myself. As the days are now reduced to a bare minimum of daylight hours and the darkness descends at 4 pm, its the most natural thing to want to do to go home and light candles and if you have your family and friends around you to share the warmth, its a bonus. So after a cold bike ride home and triumphant in the battle against the elements, I have now introduced my children to the idea of 'cosy time' where we curl up on the couch under a warm blanket and read stories together. Hyggelit, indeed!