It usually starts in late summer, around the same time the wheat on the farm fields turn from green to gold. That urge to trade in shorts and flip flops for leggings and a pair of knee high boots. That urge to fill our freezers full of soups and stews. That urge to consume pumpkin spice everything.
The Danes call it "hygge" (pronounced HOO-guh, like an old-timey cartoon horn), which is essentially the art - yes, art - of being cozy. Winter can be oppressive, especially where we live in a small rural town in Ontario, Canada. Five months of puffy parkas, damp boots and dark drives home in the late afternoon under heavy skies can be hard on the soul. It was in one of those "winter blah" moments that I learned to embrace this Danish concept.
Hygge is a culture of coziness that expresses itself in things like candlelight, fresh homemade pastries, a warm cup of tea, meaningful conversations by a roaring fire, and yes, knitwear. But hygge is about more than physical comforts (although they're a big part of it); it's also about finding tranquility and solace in simple, pleasurable things. Some argue that this mindset is the reason that Danes, despite their bleak winters, are often ranked as the happiest people in the world.
So, welcome to Dragonseachina!. Feel free to grab a cup of tea, snuggle up, and browse for a little something that will bring some hygge to your life :)
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