We Need Christmas – A Hygge Christmas
What even is a hygge Christmas? Some of you might think it’s like that scene in “A Charlie Brown Christmas” when everyone is skating around the ice rink so peacefully or when they are singing carols at the end of the TV special all around that Christmas tree. Christmas Time Is Here is a song from that episode that can give you all the feels of hygge at Christmas.
For me, hygge is so much more than “A Charlie Brown Christmas” or my Danish heritage.
What does hygge mean? According to Hygge House it literally only requires consciousness, a certain slowness, and the ability to not just be present – but recognize and enjoy the present moment. That’s why so many people distill ‘hygge’ down to being a ‘feeling’ – because if you don’t feel hygge, you probably aren’t using the word right.
Hygge is Danish and pronounced “hue-gahh” . It’s actually both Danish and Norwegian if you really look into it and it’s used to describe a mood of coziness and wellness with contentment and connection. Although I’m not Norwegian, I do have Danish & Swedish roots on both sides of my family through my grandparents. Yes, some of you have always thought I was Asian all these years with my dark hair and light skin, but I honestly can tell you I am not. (It’s a running joke with all the people I meet who have asked me which Asian country I am from 😉 It’s happened too many times to count at this point. ) I’m Danish and couldn’t be more proud to be. It’s the most wonderful culture of tradition and when I found out hygge was a part of it, I fell even more in love with it. I still remember my Grandma Beilke having a sign in her kitchen that said “Kiss the cook, she’s Danish!”
When I first heard what hygge was, I was head over heels in love with it. I finally felt that I had a word to describe what I love most. I love connection, cozy get togethers, candles, good conversation, slipper socks, good food, meaningful memories. I love the warmth of tradition with family, friends, and even beautiful strangers that you feel like you have known your whole life when you first meet and start talking.
Hygge is a state of being. It’s a state of being that feels like home to me.
Every winter and Christmas I try to create and embrace as much hygge into my life and my husband’s life as possible. Here is my own personal list of hygge favorites. This year we are creating space for a Hallmark Hygge Christmas get together at our new home and I couldn’t be more excited about it. I still remember my mother-in-law and father-in-law asking me what hygge was when we invited them to it and I found it so hard to describe. I just kept thinking to myself that, “Hygge is me and everything I love about the Christmas and the winter season.”
Hygge is love, joy, connection, simple moments, family, friends, meaningful deep conversations. The conversations where we dive into the little pieces of life that truly matter most to us like why we are here and our beautiful future in
heaven one day. One day for Christmas we’ll get to be there with all our loved ones that went to be with Jesus before us.
In my mind, you don’t have to be Danish or Norwegian to embody this beautiful state of being. Imagine if our world was creating more hygge days than the ones we have in our world right now? If we had more hygge evenings, we would have less hate, turmoil, and separation. If we embraced hygge at its core, we could be more connected instead of the things of today that divide us like our faith, vaccination status, and heritage.
What if we believed everyone is doing the best they can based on what they’ve been given, what they’ve experienced, and what they know?
What if we loved each other just 5% more than we did yesterday?
That would make our world something we don’t even recognize anymore. It would make our world beautiful, meaningful, connected and filled with less judgement.
The thing is, we can create that now. We don’t have to wait for the world around us to change.
We can create hygge now and we can create a more loving family, friend group, and neighborhood right now all around us. All it takes is you and me. We have the capabilities to do it and we are empowered with all it takes to do it. God gives it to us each and every day. We can even pray for more of the fruits of the spirit if we don’t feel like we have enough of it to share with others throughout each day.
Here’s the thing, if an old cartoon like “A Charlie Brown Christmas” back in December of 1965 can bring a whole nation together, then imagine what God, hygge, and the fruits of the spirit can do today in our neighborhoods and families that seem on such different pages these days?
There is so much hurt and separation all around us. All it takes is one person who wants to intentionally listen, understand, and create a connection with someone else.
Create that connection. It makes a difference. Love someone a little bit more today.
Again, you don’t have to be Danish or Norwegian to show someone you care – even showing care to a stranger matters more than you know. Our world needs healing, and we need Christmas and Jesus more than ever this season.
Carols in the living room, grandpa reading Luke chapter 2, reaching out a helping hand and looking after our fellow man, that’s what we need right now.
We need Christmas now more than ever to bring us together. That’s the peace that the baby born in Bethlehem can only bring.
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