Scandinavians know exactly how to stay cosy in the snow and cold

The Scandinavian concept of ‘hygge’ is popular in the United States – but are the Americans getting it right?

Words:

• Someone’s heritage is their traditions, values, and history that are passed down from earlier generations.
• Contentment is a calm feeling of being satisfied and comfortable with what you have.
• Something has emerged when it has appeared or developed over time and become noticeable.
• Uncertainty is the feeling of not knowing what will happen or what the outcome will be.
• A contradiction happens when two ideas or actions seem to oppose each other.
• Something is antithetical when it is completely opposite to an idea or value.
• Staging means carefully arranging or presenting something so it looks a certain way.
• Intimacy is a feeling of closeness, comfort, and trust between people.
• Inherently means that something is part of something by its very nature.
• When you are anti-materialistic you value experiences and relationships more than owning things.
• To fully embrace something means to accept it completely and make it part of your life or thinking.
• Social welfare is a service from the government where things like healthcare, unemployment pay and other public services are free or subsidised. 
• Something resonates when it feels meaningful or relatable.
  

Video:

Warming up

1. This video talks about the concept of ‘hygge’. Hygge is a Danish word that’s hard to translate. ‘Gezellig’ is a similar Dutch word that’s hard to translate. How would you explain the word ‘gezellig’ in English?

2. ‘Hygge’ is a Danish word. What do you know about Denmark? Do you know anything else that’s Danish or from Denmark? Give one or two examples of things you already knew about Denmark before watching this video.

Questions about the video

Watch the video from 0:00-3:22.

3. Which of the following statements about Ingebretsen’s Nordic Marketplace are mentioned in the video?

A: They sell soft things like blankets, socks and sweaters. 

B. The shop sells to people with a Scandinavian heritage.  

C. Anna Bloomstrand originally started the shop in the 1920s. 

D. The owner of the shop sees it as a place where people can explore the Scandinavian culture.    

E: The shop’s sales have increased since ‘hygge’ became a trend in the US.

4. You have now seen several people explain what ‘hygge’ means to them. Summarise its meaning in your own words.

5. Professor Andersen explains why ‘hygge’ became popular in the UK and the US after events such as Brexit and Trump’s first presidency. Why does this timing explain its popularity?

A: Because these events marked the start of globalisation in these countries. 

B: Because people were feeling unsatisfied with their own politics and looked to other countries to find cultural inspiration.

C: The events don’t have anything to do with it, but in 2016 Instagram increased in popularity which meant the concept of hygge spread quickly.

D: Because they were times of change and political unrest, so people turned to their homes and their inner circle to find happiness. 

6. Why does the professor think the social media hype around hygge is ‘anti-thetical’ to the idea of hygge?

Watch the video from 03:22 to the end.

7. Professor Andersen thinks it’s more difficult to achieve ‘hygge’ in the United States. What cultural differences between Denmark and the US are at the cause of this?

8. Anna Bloomstrand says she tries to make her shop feel like a ‘hygge’ place for her customers, but in the end, it’s still a shop and not a home. She finishes by saying the shop is like ‘a hardware store’ for people to achieve ‘hygge’. What do you think she means by that?

Task

Option 1: Professor Andersen says he uses an afternoon snack as a good habit to achieve hygge with his family. Suggest your own good habit for the new year. How could you achieve hygge with your family or friends, or even by yourself? 

Option 2: Go on social media (or the internet in general) and find images or videos with the tag/description ‘hygge’. Choose one. Explain why you think this is or isn’t a good example of what hygge means.

Van de makers van All Right!, Of Course! en Taalblokken Engels