This week’s word will be all over the cuddly shelves of the bookshops on September 7th. It’s the word Meik Wiking has chosen for his new book, The Little Book of Lykke. Unlike hygge, this word does have a direct English translation: it means happiness. Okay, so I’ve chosen it as the word for the weekend because the new book (which I reviewed here) is … Continue reading A Word for the Weekend: Lykke. It’s Danish for Happiness
Being a middle aged woman is no picnic sometimes. I find myself watching anxiously for signs that I am changing from the Fertile Mother of All to the Aged Crone. My children reliably inform me that I may not actually be all that aged but I’ve always been good at a bit of Crone-like behaviour. You know, the wisdom of ages that tells them just … Continue reading A Word for the Weekend: Tartle
Last week I was away on my holidays. It was lovely: I had a fantastic time, it was relaxing, total break from life, a time spent doing very little apart from walking along seafronts, eating ice creams, reading and crafting. After such a lovely time, coming back to work should be a let down, shouldn’t it? The British and American cultures are very fond of … Continue reading A Word for the Weekend: Arbejdsglaede
Meraki is a Greek word meaning doing something with soul, creativity or love. When you put yourself into a project you are doing it with meraki. I think anybody who has ever started a real labour of love, be it a crocheted blanket, a picture, a pottery vase or even a meal cooked for someone they love will appreciate the idea of doing something … Continue reading A Word for the Weekend: Meraki
Gigil is a tagalog word that is the feeling you get when you want to touch something and can’t… you know, the shivery, teeth-gritting feeling when you see a cute baby that isn’t related to you and you would instinctively want to scoop them up, or to tickle them, or to kiss them all over but…. you’re not related to them, and you don’t have … Continue reading A Word for the Weekend: Gigil
Is Lagom vastly different from hygge? Well, no. They’re not in competition. They are, in actuality, exceedingly compatible. Fredagsmys is hygge, fika is hygge, spending time outside is hygge. Whether you choose the Swedish or the Danish name is more the question. In their love for jumping on bandwagons and breaking down self-created idols, papers this year have been quick to jump over hygge as … Continue reading A Word for the Weekend: Lagom.
I like having patterns and structures to my blog posts, even if some weeks the only thing I chose to do with that structure is just ignore it. I really enjoyed the A Weekend With… series and I may well go back to them at some stage in the future, but I feel the need for something different at the moment. It’s summertime and we’re … Continue reading A Word for the Weekend…. New series
“Until we get past the need to teach people how to pronounce the word in the first paragraph, (or worse, on the cover), then we are just babes in the woods. I’m waiting for an in depth hygge book, one that covers hygge design, decoration, atmosphere, activities, baking, parties, philosophy. There is still room for a beautiful coffee (and cake) table book written by someone … Continue reading How do we reach the next step?
How to Hygge the British Way 