Danish living: 'Hygge' is a must!

I'm speaking up again!

On the last weekend of October, I visited Franzi in Esbjerg. After a two-hour train ride, I arrived in the small town on the west coast of Denmark, where Franzi picked me up from the train station. We had a cozy weekend, but of course, we also did some activities. We went to the Deer Park (yes, Esbjerg has one too!), took a stroll and explored the city, and had a lot of fun at a little Halloween party. I also had to see the landmark of Esbjerg: four oversized men by the sea, also known as 'The Man by the Sea' (Mennesket ved Habet).

We also made a trip to the popular holiday island Fanø with our bikes, which is only a stone's throw away by ferry. There is not much to do there, but we explored the little town and the island by bike. You can even ride the bike on the beach! On sand! I've never done that before.

The following weekend, Steffi from Copenhagen visited me. We braved the rain, and I showed her the city, Dokk1, and the ARoS Museum. As a reward, we went brunching on Sunday morning. :)

On November 4th, I got to experience a very special day here in Aarhus. The first Friday in November is traditionally celebrated as 'J-Day'. The day when the official Tuborg Christmas beer, 'Juleøl', is released. 'Jul' stands for Christmas and 'Øl' for beer. Especially popular among the younger generation, the bars, pubs, and other places in Danish cities are crowded on this evening. Beer wagons with free beer roam the city, and blue Tuborg Santa hats are handed out everywhere. At exactly 20:59, the Christmas beer is served everywhere. It was quite funny, and I definitely had to see it while I'm here. Of course, I also tried the Christmas beer and found it surprisingly good!

Lately, it has become quieter here in Denmark. It's cold, windy, rainy, and we even had the first snow. Occasionally, the sun shines through, and I immediately go outside to soak up every ray.

But the winter doesn't only bring cold and wet weather, it also brings a lot of 'hygge'! That's a very important thing in Denmark, so I want to briefly explain what it actually means.

'Hygge' – Danish for 'coziness'

Hygge can be: enjoying a cup of tea by candlelight, going out with friends to celebrate, spending valuable time with family, or simply doing what makes one happy. At the same time, 'hygge' also means that Danes take things a bit more relaxed, don't rush through the streets, and, in my opinion, are more carefree than most people in Germany. Hygge is simply in the air in Denmark and is probably ingrained in people from birth.

At any rate, it is highly valued here, and the Danes really celebrate it. There is simply no suitable German word that comes close to 'hygge'. 'Hygge' perfectly captures the Danish way of life. This little word contains a lot and is the epitome of the Danish mentality. Maybe it's also the reason why Danes are the happiest people.

Hygge cannot be explained. Hygge must be experienced!

P.S.: I recently came across this very interesting article by chance. 9 reasons that make Denmark attractive:

http://usuncut.com/world/here-are-9-reasons-denmarks-socialist-economy-leaves-the-us-in-the-dust/