You know when you discover something new, something you’ve never seen\/heard of\/noticed before, or something you’ve recently decided you now love….and then suddenly it’s everywhere? It seems like every time you walk down the street, you see one of whatever-it-is: a particular car that your mate’s just bought…or a breed of dog that you love?Well that’s how I’m feeling about Hygge<\/i><\/b> (pronounced hoo-gah) right now. For forty long years, I’d never heard the word uttered by another human’s lips. I’d never seen it written in a single book or magazine. Then, early this summer, my partner Andy and I were sitting outside our local country pub, squinting in the sunshine and shooting the breeze over a chilled Sauvignon (or three), when he mentioned that his boss’s wife had recently written a book<\/a><\/b> about hoo-gah.”Who what<\/i>?” I enquired. “Never heard of it.”<\/p>\n Fast forward to now, and it’s everywhere. Every time I open a magazine there’s an article about it<\/b><\/a>; there’s an explosion of new books<\/b><\/a> on the topic.<\/p>\n So what’s all this hoo-ha about hoo-gah? I hear you cry.<\/p>\n There’s no direct translation, since us Brits aren’t renowned for our ‘cosiness,’ our ability to ‘revel in the beauty of the moment,’ but I understand it’s something along those lines. We (ok, I) tend to be more of a stiff-upper-lip stoic, the ingrained nature of generations of Blakes (my maiden name) going against these hippyish displays of peace and lurve. We’re not known for our public outpourings of affection and gratitude; I come out in hives at the thought of hugging strangers (maybe after midnight on a crowded dancefloor, at a push).<\/p>\n But the Danes, now they really know how to hygge. So it means cosy. Sort of. Cosy contentment. It’s all about creating a pleasurable ambience and being in the moment (man). Not crashing through the front door to a chilly house of an evening and scoffing a dubious-looking microwave lasagne straight from the plastic dish having collapsed, exhausted, in front of Eastenders. No, no. That just won’t do. There’s nothing hoo-gah about that sorry scene, which plays out regularly on weeknights up and down the UK, from Woolwich to Wigan.<\/p>\n Hygge, my friend, is all about dim lights, warmth, flickering candles and knitted throws. Think simple Scandi style. It’s about being snug-as-a-bug-in-a-rug, sipping mulled wine and nibbling warm mince pies nestled in the comforting bosom of your family; it’s curling up in your onesie after a long bubble bath with a good book.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n