Have a Hygge Holiday
Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. It was less about the day itself and more about the atmosphere and nostalgia surrounding the holiday for me. I didn’t have a name for the simple joy and comfort of Christmas back when I was little, but now I know those things can be summed up with hygge. Christmas combines intentional generosity, togetherness, and hospitality to create a holiday of peace and joy. It is a holiday of reflection and memories and all things cozy. Sugary goodies are baked, twinkling lights are strung up, gifts are lovingly purchased or made then wrapped and placed under the tree, pajamas are worn, stories are read, and everyone waits in anticipation of the big day. Traditions are followed and memories are made. It truly is a hygge holiday.
“Traditions matter to hygge. Traditions remind us of all the other good times we have had with family and friends. We feel there is a part of Christmas or hygge hidden in these actions and items that have been part of our whole life. Without them, something is missing. Christmas just would not be the same.”
This year, things look different. Finances are stretched, families are separated, people are sick, and I think we are all just ready to wrap up 2020 and be done with it. The reality is, 2021 is beginning on the coattails of 2020. It is fueled by political unrest, racial tension, division, a vast array of opinions, and the struggle of a tumultuous year of loss.
I don’t know about you, but my heart is a little heavy with the weight of it all. I long for life to go back to “normal.” I eagerly await when masks aren’t a requirement, gatherings are restricted, and people getting tested for the virus isn’t a regular topic of conversation.
Instead of wallowing in the pain and heartache of 2020, I want to take the positive elements of 2020 into the new year. I want to take the generosity, the love, and the neighbor helping neighbor mentality. Remember back when the pandemic started and people were joining forces to encourage each other during lockdown and quarantines and all the unknown? Remember when we suddenly had the time to start new hobbies and make home cooked meals? That’s what I want to hold onto.
I am thankful for Christmas which reminds us to cherish the good and allows us to end the year reflecting on the past while being thankful for where we are in the present. I want to keep my head up, look back on this year with eyes of hope, and hold on to the growth and sweet memories made during a time of chaos. That’s what hygge is: all things beautiful in the midst of chaos that rise to the top and triumph over struggles.
May we hold fast to the hope that was brought by the King of all who began his life on earth as a babe in a manger.
Merry Christmas - Glædelig Jul! And have a hygge holiday!
