Hygge is a way for the witch to bring a little cozy comfort to the winter season.
Winters in my part of the world can feel like they stretch on for a very long time just like those in Denmark, where this tradition originates. Hygge (pronounced hue-gah) means well-being and protected from the elements. It’s about cozy comfort.
The Danish people have used hygge to cozy up their winters and we can borrow from this tradition for making our own homes feel like places that provide refuge and a sense of protection from both the physical and emotional effects of a long winter season.
Making Hygge a Way of Life
Hygge isn’t something that you can buy, it’s more of a feeling. A way of being.
In the last few years this concept of hygge has made its way to the US and many other countries around the world. It’s become popular and trendy.
For good reason.
Hygge can widely be described as a feeling of coziness, comfort, and familiarity. It symbolizes the things we feel when surrounded by friendship, laughter and seasonal homemade foods and beverages.
It’s exactly what we need during the winter season.
While hygge isn’t exclusive to the winter season, it’s generally associated with the colder months because of its ability to raise our spirits during the long, dark winter when the lack of daylight and cold temperatures might make us feel a little off.
It’s easy to see why it works this way too. The focus is on creating serene, comfortable homes that make you feel content.
Tip: I don’t know about you, but creating a home that feels like a sanctuary is always my preference in any season. So, feel free to carry hygge into the rest of the year.
For the witch, here’s a few ways to bring in that hygge this winter season:
- Invite your people over – host gatherings for the people who mean the most to you.
- Make your celebration calm, cheerful, and cozy. Let it be informal and comfortable. Nothing fancy needed.
- Warm lighting like candles or a blazing fire are lovely elements, but string lights will also create that warmth.
- Put soft, fuzzy blankets on the couch and chairs.
Tip: Swap out the linens in your bedroom too for something that feels cozy and comforting. This one is just for you. I love all those fuzzy blankets and can barely resist buying them when I see them in the stores.
Hygge in the Kitchen
There’s a little kitchen witch in all of us, right?
Take this opportunity to create your favorite comfort foods. Show off your cooking and baking skills and make up some of your traditional family favorites. Think hearty stews, savory flatbreads, fluffy loaves of fresh bread, apple pie, cookies or other favorite family recipes.
Just remember to keep everything easy.
Here are some of my favorite recipes:
Hygge Scents for the Home
Scent has a way of helping change our mood. It also helps us remember holidays from our past. Whenever I smell fresh bread, I’m instantly transported back to the holiday seasons from my own childhood and memories of my grandmother. It’s impossible for me to bake bread without thinking of her. She was an amazing bread maker, and she even baked in a wood-fired oven, which is truly an art form.
Find her bread recipe here. You can also make fantastic cinnamon buns with this dough.
Scents have the power to alter how we feel, and this can be used to your advantage this holiday season to create a wonderful aroma in your home. Candles with festive, inviting scents are lovely addition during this season. Choose clean varities – those made without chemicals. Go for scents like warm vanilla, cinnamon apple, pine, sugar plum or peppermint for the holidays.
Fresh foliage is another way to add a festive scent to your home. I spend a lot of time outdoors in every season and this time of year, I’m on the lookout for fallen evergreen branches that I can use for decorating. Fortunately, there’s usually enough to create door decorations or centerpieces without having to damage any trees. If you’re using a live tree in your home, you can opt for one in a pot that can be planted later. Scotch pine, Douglas fir, white spruce and many others smell really nice.
Tip: Use simmer pots – there’s lots of options online, but even adding cinnamon or cloves to a bit of water will do the trick.
Hygge on a Budget
Because hygge is all about creating a peaceful atmosphere that’s warm and comforting, there’s several ways you can do it without breaking the bank. Focus on small, intentional changes.
Here’s a few ideas to get you started:
- Candles – whether you choose tealights or even flameless candles, they will add warmth and glow to your home this winter. Try them in different locations too.
Of course, you’ll want to be safe with open flames since they increase the chance of catching your home on fire.
- Rearrange your furniture – Move furniture to create a cozy, conversational layout, or push pieces closer together to make the room feel more intimate. Focus on creating spaces where you can relax, like moving chairs toward the window for natural light or arranging seating around a fireplace.
- Bringing nature into your home Nature is a core element of hygge (and witchcraft), and it’s easy to do on a budget. Try plants, branches, pinecones, or fresh flowers to add a touch of the outdoors. Stones, leaves, or twigs can be put in decorative vases, bowls or jars. You can even make decorations for your tree from them. These simple touches connect you with nature and enhance the coziness of your home at the same time.
- Add layers. Add texture with blankets, throws, pillows and cushions. Look for soft materials like cotton or wool and layer them up to create the cozy feeling of hygge.
- Sound – try soft music or nature sounds in place of other types of music.
Hygge Gifts Inspiration
Your gifts can reflect hygge this season too. The best gifts are the ones with thoughtful intention infused into them, don’t you think?
When considering gifts, think about what gives the people you’re buying for the most joy. If you’re not sure what that is, the next time you’re chatting with them, notice if they provide any clues to help you with your gift purchase.
When shopping, try local stores, specialty shops, handmade markets, or craftspeople in your hometown. You’re much more likely to find unique choices here than in big box stores. I like to set the intention before I shop that I will find the perfect thing.
Ideas for hygge gift wrapping include a natural-looking cardboard box, wrapping paper with snow, birds or nature on it. You could even get creative and use fabric, tea or bath towels, or any other cloth item that they can then use in their homes.
Tip: Try these ideas on hard to wrap or awkward sized packages too.
Home gift ideas:
- textiles like pillows, throws, and blankets
- candles and tea light lanterns
- seasonal foods and beverages like a hot cocoa kit for your chocolate-loving pal.
To do a hot cocoa kit: Choose a pretty mug, a tiny ornamental spoon, and some cocoa mix.
You might also assemble the ingredients needed for your favorite cookie recipe. Wrap them in a pretty basket, add a handwritten note and the recipe.
I’d love to get this one as a gift, how about you?
Summary of Hygge for the Witch
For the witch, creating peace, flow and joy in life is part of the path we travel. Hygge is a beautiful tradition and one that feels so aligned for me because of this overlap. Winter has never been my favorite season and by adding in hygge, winter seems a little less daunting.
Enjoy the winter season.
Blessed be.
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Karen
