Every year the "Oxford Dictionaries" choose a word of the year. The Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year is a word or expression that we can see has attracted a great deal of interest over the last 12 months. These are taken from a program of over 150 million words! One is eventually chosen that is judged to reflect the mood of that particular year and to have lasting potential as a word of cultural significance!?!?
So it only makes sense that last year, it wasn't even a word!! It was an emoji! Possibly lasting potential!?!?!?
Past words selected were "podcast", "unfriend", "locavore", "chav", "vape", "refudiate", and "selfie"!
But I will NOT ruin this blog by discussing politics!!
NOTHING COULD BE LESS POLITICAL THAN HYGGE!!!
I was fascinated with the "short-list"!
"Adulting", "Brexiteer", "glass cliff","Latinx", "woke", "coulrophobia", "chatbot", and "HYGGE"! What a list! From fear of clowns to a computer program simulating a human!
I had not heard the word HYGGE! Pronounced "hoo-gah". But it isn't really important how you pronounce or spell it. Like the philosopher, Winnie the Pooh said when asked how to spell an emotion said, "You don't spell it, YOU FEEL IT!"
HYGGE is a Danish term for a feeling or mood that comes from taking pleasure in making ordinary, every day moments more meaningful, beautiful or special. There is no English translation. It is a noun,adjective or verb. It is an emotion--laughing, hugging, or feeling gratitude. It's unwinding and choosing to live a positive life. It's an atmosphere! It's candles, a cozy fire, friends, togetherness, laughter, comfort food, mulled wine, pets, hot drinks, gardens, the sun on your face---- and the list goes on and on!
It is fundamental for the Danes culture and what has helped label them the HAPPIEST COUNTRY ON EARTH!! Not to mention it enables them to get through the cold winters because after all "Winter is the most hygge time of the year!"
Once an obscure word but to Scandinavians, it is invading Europe, Britain and now America. There are hundreds of articles and books. Amazon showed 369 books and Instagram has 1,686,832 results for hygge, hence it has been called "THE CATNIP TO THE SOCIAL MEDIA"! So I am throwing in my 2 bits of catnip to the media and still flummoxed that I hadn't heard of it till the word of the year was announced and had over a million hits on instagram.
The French have a similar word joie de vivre meaning the "joy of living" or " a delight in being alive". . . . but maybe it is just too hard to pronounce that it hasn't taken off quite like HYGGE!. I love this word-HYGGE- and am anxious to embrace it, feel it, snuggle up with it!! It has arrived at just the right time!! It is no accident with all the cacophony of nonsense swirling around us that people are grasping for something positive to hold to and look forward to!! Hygge offers a refuge from the tempest around us. It's personal and accessible. Hygge's "a complete absence of anything annoying or emotionally overwhelming". I will be enjoying the art of hygge over the next 4 years in the pursuit of everyday happiness no matter what is going on around me. Live a more "hyggelig" life!!
Last night I experienced HYGGE. A crazy windy winter storm was screaming outside and the power went out. I snuggled up with my cats by the fire. Read a new book from one of my favorite authors. I love HYGGE!!
So try more HYGGE!!
This makes me want to post some of my
past moments of hygge.
"ALWAYS FIND TIME FOR THE THINGS
THAT MAKE YOU FEEL HAPPY TO BE ALIVE!!"
