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Review: the Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living by Meik Wiking

David Miller • • 28 min read
Review: the Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living by Meik Wiking

Denmark is consistently ranked as one of the top three happiest countries in the world. It’s a cold climate that’s dark most of the year, so what do the Danes have to be happy about? Author Meik Wiking thinks it has a lot to do with the Danish embrace of “hygge” (pronounced “hoo-gah”). Often thought of as another word for “cozy,” hygge engages and embraces all six — yes, six — senses. Learn how to incorporate a little hygge into your own life and find happiness where you didn’t think it possible.

The Danes have mastered the art of happiness — now you can, too.

READ THIS BOOK SUMMARY IF YOU:

  • Think you could be happier
  • Live in a cold climate
  • Want to live a simpler, more authentic life

If you’ve ever visited a Scandinavian country in the winter time you will probably have noticed two things; the dark and the freezing cold. Despite this, the people living there, specifically the Danes, are actually among the happiest in the world. Why is this the case?

If you ask the Danes, they might mention things like a generous and well-functioning welfare state and cheap beer. But other countries have this too. The real secret is something else. Enter hygge, a notoriously difficult word to translate. So what is this mysterious hygge and how do you get it in your own life?

In this summary of The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking, you’ll learn

  • why Danes love candles so much;
  • why you should get yourself a hyggekrog; and
  • why there’s nothing like cooking food together to make you happy.

Introduction

What is hygge and how do you pronounce it? Is it a verb? A noun? An adjective? A chunky knit sweater? An evening spent in front of a cozy fire, or a warm mug of cocoa by candlelight? A comforting arm around you on a cold winter’s night? The short answer: Yes. It’s all of these and more.

Hygge (pronounced “hoo-gah”) isn’t something you can purchase at a store, no matter how big your checking account may be. In fact, unless you have too little money to live a normal life, wealth doesn’t factor into it much at all.

Hygge is a feeling. It’s an atmosphere of warmth (both emotional and physical), safety, and intimacy. Call it cozy — because it is — but it’s also so much more.

There are five characteristics that make something hygge:

  1. Lighting is important. Candles and lamps create a cozy environment.
  2. Authenticity is most desirable. If it’s pre-fab, it’s not hygge.
  3. It doesn’t have to be expensive. A hand-crafted cashmere sweater is hygge, but so is a throw blanket made by your grandmother.
  4. Without people, hygge is nothing. You need social connections, which is what ties it to happiness.
  5. Obtaining hygge brings more happiness than money.

Luckily, you don’t need to live in Denmark to achieve hygge. This book summary of The Little Book of Hygge will show you how to bring hygge and happiness into your life.

Light

When you’re trying to create a mood, nothing is more important than lighting. Too bright and you can count everyone’s pores (talk about a romance killer); too dim and you trip over the coffee table.

That said, candles are imperative to proper hygge. The citizens of Denmark know this, which is why the average Dane burns a little over a pound of candle wax a month. (In total, about 13 pounds a year.)

And we’re not talking about scented candles, either — you won’t find any cutesy “vanilla bourbon” or “guava coconut fusion” pillars burning in a proper Danish home. Danes wax organic, and 96% of them use candles regularly. Around 30% of Danes light candles every day, and more than 30% light more than five at a time. Even though everyone looks better in the forgiving flicker of fire, all but the most committed candle-fan knows you can’t rely on them completely. After all, this is a country that basically lives in darkness from about October to March and is gifted with an average of 179 days of rain a year.

Despite the darkness, you won’t find ceilings lined with canned LED lights or bright-white fluorescents; lighting a room with hygge in mind means a few smaller lamps spread throughout the room. Try it and see: Small golden light immersions around the room, gently fusing together to illuminate, is relaxing and cozy.