Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Cozy Time - Hygge


My daughter is in Denmark this semester studying abroad.  Her host family has really made her feel like part of their family and for that, I am grateful.
The Danish have a tradition where after dinner, they sit around and talk and get to know each other.  It's called hygge which means cozy time and is pronounced hue gah lee.

According to my daughter:
Hygge literally translates to cozy time, and another word couldn’t have described it any better. During my stay with my host family I’ve realized that hygge can be an hour to as long as 4 hours. And it is truly nice to know that people in Denmark take the time out from the hectic lives to enjoy and appreciate the company of others, whether it be a stranger or a loved one. The tradition of making time to relax, eat and enjoy the company of others is something that should definitely be adopted by the States. Maybe then we could move up on the ranks of Happy People. :) 


So this Sunday after dinner, we had cozy time - we had hygge.  We talked about church and the sermon, our lives, our children, and whatever else came to mind.  We used to do this more often, but this cultural reminder made me realize that you can never have too much cozy time. Cozy time leads to fellowship with each other, which leads to hospitality, which leads to sharing and caring.  I think cozy time is good and we would all benefit from it.


Do you hygge? Do you eat dinner together as a family daily, weekly, ever? Do you sit and chat after dinner or are you in a rush to resume activities? Are you willing to open your life/house to strangers? Can you think of any Bible verses that support cozy time? If you do please leave in the comments.



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