9 Ways to Enjoy Holiday Hygge

A couple of years ago I wrote this post on hygge which is the Danish concept of enjoying life’s cozy moments. Hygge had become wildly popular in the U.S. Before 2020 people were already looking to live more simply due to the stressful world we live in. However, this year has sent that stress of the charts sending people searching for more homespun holidays that are small and simpler. We should expect to see more traditional and minimalist efforts this holiday season as well as smaller get-togethers to replace large parties (this is impossible when you marry into a large Cambodian family- lol!) Moments like catching snowflakes with your tongue or singing Christmas carols are what capture the cozy Christmas spirit. This is not meant to be stress-inducing or materialistic, but rather enjoying the simple things in a cozy sort of way. Here are 9 ways to enjoy holiday hygge.

9 ways to enjoy holiday hygge

1. Snow shoeing while not exactly a cozy activity it is an immensely satisfying way to enjoy the snow in a peaceful and contemplative way.

2. Reading aloud to the group by firelight

3. A puzzle of a cozy Christmas scene. Here is a fun puzzle I found on Amazon that glows in the dark.

4. Roasting chestnuts over the fire. We have sung about doing this, but have we done it? I have no, but plan to this year. It just sounds idyllic and Christmassy. Here is a tutorial I found for actually roasting them on a fire here. And here is another tutorial for roasting them in the oven.

5. Sipping a hot drink such as this Blushing Hot Spiced Wine (cocoa for the kids) and watching it snow.

6. Feed the birds with this awesome idea: peanut butter and pinecones. This is an easy yet rewarding activity. Simply tie string onto large pinecones, smear pinecone in peanut butter, and roll pinecone in birdseed. Hang them from a tree and wait. The kids and I did this one year and I could not believe how many birds showed up to feast by the next day! It seemed like every bird in Portland was at our home- lol! This is a fun activity I highly recommend for all ages.

7. Make sugar cookie cutouts. Using this recipe here roll out the dough and make fun sugar cookie shapes. Frost and decorate them of course!

8. Have a family or couple’s campout in front of the fireplace.

9. Make Christmas cards. This is a lot of fun, but I recommend doing a little advance planning with materials. Come up with a couple of simple card ideas and find or buy supplies. Below you can see an idea for a fairly simple abstract Christmas tree made by cutting paper.