How to Find Your “Hygge” this Winter

Prague is not all sugar-dusted spires and Christmas markets throughout the winter months; come mid-January grey is both a weather forecast and a state of mind. One group of Prague expats knows just how to beat the winter doldrums—by practicing the Danish art of “hygge” (pronounced “hoogah”).

Hygge, which has been making the media rounds these days as a kind of pop-culture philosophy for our fast-paced times, is all about taking time to enjoy ritual ambience, typically with family and friends nearby. Nothing particularly Danish about that, though if you really want to take it to the next level, hot beverages, knitwear, and flickering candlelight help.

“Weather can also be connected,” says Bach Lauritzen, “Coming into your house after a walk outside in the cold, settling down in front of the fireplace with a cup of hot cocoa and chatting or reading, whilst sharing what you read.” 

Valdemar Bruun Brandborg of the Danish Embassy agrees that hygge is a feeling that stems from “An aura in the atmosphere around you.” He adds, “You can also find it alone, when you give yourself time for it.”

His idea of the perfect hygge, Prague-style? “The Christmas market and lights in Prague make the atmosphere hyggelige.” Christmas-related hygge even has a special name: Julehygge.

Family is a recurring motif in the practice of hygge, says Mr. Bach Lauritzen: “Good night reading for kids is a perfect example of hygge, known all over the world.” Frequenting the same pub on a regular basis and cooking homemade meals for friends and family also fall under Mr. Bach Lauritzen’s definition of the phenomenon.

As great practicioners of these activities, especially the pub-going part, Mr. Bruun Brandborg’s believes that Czechs are just as hyggelige as Danes. “They just don’t have the word for it yet,” he says.