How To Shift Your Winter Mindset With Just Two Words
Two Scandinavian words help reframe winter for me — Koselig and hygge. The Forge article, "The Norwegian Philosophy of Thriving in Winter" by James Ware, introduced me to the twin terms. The Norwegians call it "koselig," and in Denmark, the neighboring word is "hygge." Either way, you name "it," these words are the newest members of my winter vocabulary. In hygee fashion, prepare a mug of your favorite beverage, slip on your fuzzy slippers, light a scented candle and nestle in a comfy space to read how to prepare for your winter ahead.
Koselig (pronounced "koohshlee") is both a feeling and a mindset. Though challenging to translate, koselig is "a shared, safe, togetherness that comes from a feeling of warmth and safety." Koselig has an English cousin you already know — the word "cozy." The koselig mindset focuses on connecting with others and spending time in nature (rather than dwelling on the cold darkness of winter). Creating physical spaces and experiences that draw people together is koselig. A distant relative is forest bathing or, as the Japanese call it, "shinrin-yoku," which can help with stress, diabetes, blood pressure, anxiety, and more. Steeping in experiences that pull from nature and togetherness embody the Koselig feeling and flow into human relationships. Actions, particularly helping another person, can also be koselig.
Let's create a koselig holiday scenario to get us in the mood. My Composition 101 teacher would call this "flowery," but I prefer to think of it as koselig imagery.
It's late on Christmas Eve, and the kids are finally asleep. Collapsing into the love seat next to my husband, I reach for my mug and savor the last sip of hot-spiced cider. "Silent night" is softly playing in the next room, and my attention is drawn to the patterns the tree lights cast dancing across the ceiling. The fireplace, now embers, glows, and we sit without having to speak to each other, relishing in the koselig we created together.
The term "hygge" (pronounced hue-guh) from Denmark focuses on the essence of one's well-being or contentment. It's more about the feeling created, loosely translated as the "coziness of the soul." Hygge embodies the small, everyday moments that make you feel warm and happy. For me, it could be a smell, like cinnamon rolls coming out of the oven on Christmas morning. Others find hygge in lighting a scented candle or slipping into a well-worn pair of jeans and a comfy sweatshirt. Hygge is also aware of what it lacks — the absence of the emotionally overwhelming or things that annoy you. That rules out quite a bit for me. Maybe hygge is the not-so-secret ingredient of why Denmark routinely lands on or near the top of the World Happiness Report?
Hygee and koselig seem related yet are pretty distinct. While hygge is more of an isolationist experience, koselig seeks to connect others to the feeling of coziness and sharing happiness. Also, koselig happens more in places like nature or creative spaces without technology. In contrast, hygee is a personal experience that kindles the soul. Koselig fuels the person and creates community spirit and goodwill, while hygee is more self-indulgent.
Having some Scandinavian ancestry ("Britta" is a Swedish name and nod to my great grandmother, Britta Mart), we Swedes are proud of our "hearty" nature. Growing up in Minnesota amidst crowds of other Vikings' descendants, I took saunas, ice-skated outdoors, played endless hours in the snow, and loved to sled and ski. Winter still holds many of my favorite childhood memories. Yet some people fear winter, snow, and the cold and treat it as something to be avoided. On the contrary, winter is the season that both restores and completes me, and now I better understand why. As another Chicago winter has enveloped us, compounded by and woven within a second Pandemic year, what better time is there to create coziness in our soul?
Research on the subject gives an approving nod to the notion of koselig. Stanford psychologist Kari Leibowitz refers to her studies of the winter mindset in Tromso, Norway as a Fulbright scholar in 2015. The Polar Night extends from 11/21–1/22 (aka no natural sunlight to speak of) in a city 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle. This setting would seem to be the logical epicenter of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Still, instead, Leibowitz's research finds folks in Tromso think differently, seeing winter as "something to be enjoyed and not endured." Winter, instead, is not a limiting time of the year but one of mindfulness. Winter is a time to strengthen bonds and build intimacy among family, friends and seek light from within oneself. After all the isolation we've been through, we should strive to be beacons in 2022.
Norwegians don't just survive their long winters; they thrive in them. It's energizing to view winter with a fresh perspective, one created by former generations of my ancestors through rituals and traditions still celebrated today. Perhaps this sheds even more light on celebrations like (St.) Lucia Day held annually on December 13. Lucia is an ancient mythical figure with an enduring role as a bearer of light in the dark Swedish winters. Alongside Midsummer, the Lucia celebrations represent one of Sweden's most cherished cultural traditions. This annual ritual references life in the peasant communities of old: darkness and light, cold and warmth. Swedish tradition includes a crown of candles (lights) worn by a young girl as the assembly sings in koselig, cutting the darkness with light with this celebration’s official song:
“The night treads heavily
around yards and dwellings
In places unreached by sun,
the shadows brood
Into our dark house she comes,
bearing lighted candles,
Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia.”
During this season of short days, you'll need more light and love to thrive this winter. May you adjust your mindset to find your hygge and create more koselig to sustain you and yours in the days of long shadows ahead.
