10/25/25 Weekend Grif.Net - Hygge Manifesto
b...@grif.net
I am proudly NOT Scandinavian and felt only mild sympathy for the Anderson’s, Jensen’s, and Oleson’s of my Minnesota youth. Always heard that you can tell a Norwegian, but you can’t tell them much. I’m not sure I ever met a full-blooded Dane in my life, but the scale reveals that I have met more than my share of scrumptious cream cheese Danish at the coffee shop. The only Dane I can remember from high school literature class was this sad kid named Hamlet.
That said, I am greatly enjoying a writers’ workshop time with a full-to-overflowing Danish stock teacher. We meet to learn, share, write, encourage (no red pencils allowed), and hone our craft. Now at 77 with a lifetime of writing sermons, textbooks, and college lecture notes, I needed to “loosen up” my creative side. Our first gathering helped me set the stage for this “course correction” as I was introduced to the Danish lifestyle of “hygge”. And once you meet “hygge”, nothing is the same anymore.
She taught that “hygge” (pronounced “hoo-ga”) is from Denmark and that Danes are the happiest, most contented, mellow, and relaxed population in the world. There is no English equivalence; it is a blend of “coziness”, “harmony”, “contentment”, and “peace” in life. A “hominess” for the soul, or as one writer said, “cocoa by candlelight”.
So, instead of word-smithing my first biographical foray, I decided to discover “hygge” for myself, unpack my cluttered brain, and slow down my remaining years to a distant drumbeat I’ve never heard. I found the “Hygge Manifesto” and share it with you. Ten Words (this is NOT a sermon, so more than three points is allowed), all 100% Danish. With a short explanation phrase attached.
Atmosphere: Turn Down the Lights.
Presence: Be Here Now.
Pleasure: Treat Yourself.
Equality: We Over Me.
Gratitude: Take It In.
Harmony: It's Not a Competition.
Comfort: Get Comfy.
Truce: No Drama.
Togetherness: Build Relationships
Shelter: This Is Your Space
At our house tonight we realized a little personal “hygge”. We put on an oboe concerto, closed the blinds to the rain outside, and lit a candle. Then put the kettle on and donned comfortable sweatpants, sweater, and thick socks. Sat at the table with a 300-piece picture puzzle and fell into that “zone”. Just the two of us in our retirement cottage ten blocks from the apartment where we lived as newlyweds 55 years ago in a frantic pace of grad school. Breathing. Smiling. Sometimes laughing, but most often letting our minds just “be”. Peaceful in searching for that piece.
I admit I don’t have all the answers, but I’m beginning to like those Danish on a slightly higher plain than just at the bakery.
~~
Dr. Bob Griffin
b...@grif.net www.grif.net
“1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given”
