February is Hygge Month!

Seattle in February is my hell.

The sun has been absent for (what feels like) decades. Everything is damp, and grey, and musty, and I have an in-my-bones cold that I can’t shake.

By February, I look like hell, too. My complexion is at Casper-the-friendly-ghost levels and I’m on my last dregs of Vitamin D.

Inevitably, I fall for the dupe that once February is over it’ll be nice again. I count down the days until March, convinced that the sun is waiting for me. It never is. Usually, February lingers until June.

So, with all of that in mind, February’s theme is HYGGE.

Hygge (pronounced HOO-GA) is generalized as the Danish preference for coziness, but it’s much more than that. In his book, The Little Book of Hygge - The Danish Way to Live Well, Meik Wiking says:

Hygge is about an atmosphere and an experience, rather than about things. It is about being with the people we love. A feeling of home. A feeling that we are safe, that we are shielded from the world and allow ourselves to let our guard down. You may be having an endless conversation about the small or big things in life - or just be comfortable in each other’s silent company - or simply just be by yourself enjoying a cup of tea.

I certainly could use a feeling of safe coziness, of feeling shielded and supported from the grey muck outside. I imagine you might be in this boat, too. So, I hope you join me for a month of experiments in coziness, comfort, good conversations, and hot beverages.

We might be waiting on spring for awhile, so let’s make it as easy on ourselves as we can!