According to Danes, Christmas should be a 'hyggelige' time of year

If you've ever wondered how to describe a need to feel cozy and share food with friends and family, the Danish are way ahead of you.

There's no direction translation for hygge (pronounced HUE-gah), but it's a Danish term that refers to enjoying life's simple pleasures and generally staying snug and warm in the face of winter.

It's been practiced by the Danes for years, but has only been discussed in North America for the past couple of years.

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"It's close to cozy, but it's more than cozy," Danish-born Vancouver furniture designer Neils Bendtsen told On The Coast guest host Chris Brown. "A person can be hyggelige, which oozes with well-being and fun."

"You can be drinking wine in front of the fire. You can be talking with friends. It's more of a state of mind of being with people, and you can have hygge by yourself sitting in front of the fire with a book."

Bendtsen says in Denmark, people will sometimes put on a hyggelige evening where friends come over for warmth in the winter. But he also says it can be many different things to many different people.

"If you visited some friends last night and had a good time, you would probably write back, 'that was hyggelige,'" he said. "You have sort of a warm, fuzzy feeling."

According to the New Yorker, the hygge trend is spreading beyond Denmark. It's led to people seeking out wholesome, warming pleasures like warm, baked goods, mulled wine and anything with cinnamon or vanilla.

It all makes perfect sense to Bendtsen.

"I think it's quite a natural thing for it to spread because it's really quite wonderful," he said.

"When you meet friends and have a warm, fuzzy, cozy feeling, it's hyggelige!"

With files from CBC Radio One's On The Coast

To hear the full story, click the audio labelled: According to Danes, Christmas should be a 'hyggelige' time of year