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Our top tips to help you achieve Hygge in Your Home This Cosy Season with the help of Candles!
Hooga? Hyooguh? Hy-chee?
According to “The Little Book of Hygge” by Meik Wiking, Hygee isn’t something you spell – just like Winnie the Pooh famously said “You don’t spell it, you feel it”!
(However, if you do want to say it when you're recommending this to your friends, the correct way is “hyoo·guh”, according to Google, emphasis on the "hyoo")
Hygge is an atmosphere and an experience. It is not about things. Mike Wiking describes it as a "feeling of home", "taking pleasure in soothing things" and"cosy togetherness".
The importance of light is so profound that it takes top spot as chapter one in "The Little Book of Hygee".
"No Hyggee recipe is complete without candles..."
There is an instant recipe for acheiving Hygge, and it is as simple as lighting a candle.
In Denmark, where the Hygge experts reside, they are known for being one of the happiest places on the planet! Denmark burns more candles than anywhere else in Europe alone.
Each person burns up to 6kgs of candle wax each year. Mike Wiking cannot express more the importance of good lighting. It can be with a mixture of lamps and candles to get you through the darkest months of year.
To create Hyggelig lighting, get your candles out and create small "caves" of light around the room. Use smaller lamps with energy efficient bulbs to compliment your candles.
Now... Lets get into the good stuff!
Get the Candles Out -
Long or short, fat or thin, scented or unscented – it doesn’t matter! What matters is, how and where they are placed. Ensure you are using a well ventilated room. An array of candles and styles of candles is the key ingredient to getting your home to hygge-dom. Stock up and get ready for plenty of cosy nights in.
Introduce a combination of Electric or Battery Operated Lighting -
To achieve ‘hyggeligt’ in your home, you might need to take a look and plan your current lighting strategy. Instead of using a single large light, place various lamps of all shapes and sizes around the room, and choose ones which offer a diffused, natural light. Salt Lamps or battery operated lanterns are another great way to achieve this cosy vibe.
Get the fire blazing -
In the book "The Little Book of Hygge", Meik Wiking makes note of what the Danes associate with hygge. Fireplaces come third behind hot drinks and candles. Stack the fireplace with firewood. Not only is it a cheaper heating option, its more so for the hygee. It brings the ultimate feeling of cosiness, warmth & togetherness. It is somewhere we wold spend time with the closest people to us.
How Do I Create The Smell of Hygee in My Home?
Well, you have come to the right place. We are "smell-experts" when it comes to creating cosiness in your home. However, when it comes to Hygge, YOU are the creator of your experience. What scents smell like home to you? Think about what scents make you feel safe, comfortable & secure? Are there any scents that offer you a sense of nostalgia or entice memories from your childhood?
Scented candles are perfect for coining this subtle & relaxed ambience you need for creating your very own happy hygee place in your home. Check out our range of hygee-approved a candles in our store or online www.candlewarehouse.ie.
Get Your Cosiest Knits & Blankets Out
'Tis the season for our cosiest ensembles to come out to play. Blankets & cusions are must-haves in any hygee home. Get "hyggeligt" by snuggling up with your favourite blanket, a book & a cup of hot chocolate. Decorate with large and small cushioins. Choose fabrices made of of wool, fleece or soft cotton for ultimate warmth & cosiness.
Hygee is about giving yourself a break from the stresses of adult life. Relax, enjoy the simple pleasures that are so close to our finertips we often ignore in our busy lives and embrace the cosiness of your home, even just for a little while each day.
Bring the outdoors, indoors!
Apparantly, Danes feel the need to bring the entire forest inside. But they have a point. "Any piece of nature you find is likely to get the hygge greenlight, leaves, nuts, twigs...".
Whether it’s pine cones, conkers or a wreath of oak leaves, anything you can collect from nature to display in your home will enhance the spirit of hygge. Exposure to nature decreases anxiety and increases memory. When you spend time in nature or surround yourself with natural objects and scenery it improves creativity and problem-solving. Nature acts as mood booster and since natural landscapes are compelling to our senses, they can effectively distract us from negative thoughts.
So... if you're ready to get Hyggeligt like we are after reading this. Here is the Ultimate Hygge Checklist:
- Candles, Candles & More Candles (We know an amazing place that is always in great stock of these..... www.candlewarehouse.ie)
- Good Quality Chocolate
- Your Favourite Tea
- Lots of Books
- Your Favourite Films, TV Shows at hand
- A Pair of Cosy Woolen Socks
- A Warm Jumper
- A Notebook
- Your Favourite Blanket
- Music
- & a Photo Album (not the one on your phone!)
Information Sources - "The Little Book of Hygee" by Meik Wiking.