What hygge means to me – a portrait

Anya Jensen13th October 2016

The special someone, who taught me everything there is to know about HYGGE is my Grandmother – (the word in Danish  is ‘MORMOR’). My Mormor is the Master of hygge, tasty old fashioned recipes, DIY projects and she is even a very accomplished flower decorator. My Grandparents had the most fantastic garden, with hundreds of different types of flowers, ripe seasonal fruit, and a garden filled to the brim with so much produce they were almost self-sufficient.

When I lived abroad, one of the first people I visited on my return, was my Grandmother. We would sit, sip coffee and talk about what had been going on. Mostly about me, but in the later years, I have been told so many tales from when my Mormor grew up, became a young woman,  a Mother, Grandmother and now Great Grandmother.

momse_04My daughters also love their ‘Oldemor’ (that’s the name for a Great Grandmother –  it means ‘Older Mum’.) -and she is a frequent guest at our house. I believe it is important to spend as much time together with the people you care about. You never know when they are not around any more. It is also incredible how much joy it brings – with the younger and older generations together.

The other day I went to my Mormor’s house. She still lives alone, and still has the same amazing garden. We sat down for a coffee, a chat, and together – and my Mormor made a stunning Autumn bouquet from the flowers we picked in the garden. We had a long conversation about hygge, and how you would hygge in the ‘Olden days’.

hygge_momse

This is what my Mormor had to say about hygge:

HYGGE, and this is the important bit  – is about all the special things you remember when you get older. 

I can guarantee that it is not the materialistic things I recall. 

No, the things I remember most fondly are the moments in time that I spent with the people I loved the most and the smaller pleasures in life.  

You see – at the end of the day – those precious moments are actually what really matters. The small moments are in fact the big moments. The moments that count. 

That is essentially what hygge is all about!!

HYGGE - Hygge is also

The summers spent in our garden with our children, friends, and family.

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The taste of freshly baked Apple-pie.

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The ice-cold thrill of the first dip in the sea 

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The tiny face of my first Grandchild, and then all of the many small faced that followed.

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The first cup of coffee in the morning.

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The silence and beauty of newly fallen snow.

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The perfect pancake.

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Laughter and smiles of people.

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Playing games with my Great Grandchildren. Teaching them things and learning many new things from them.

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Comments (6)

  • Kizzy Doll

    14th October 2016 at 10:39

    This absolutely wonderful :))) Happy weekend darling girl xx

    1. Anya J

      16th October 2016 at 20:16

      Dearest Kizzy,
      Thanks sweetness. This was probably my favourite article – for sure xxx

  • Est Rasmussen

    13th October 2016 at 10:41

    That is so beautiful and true. Time goes so fast and it is so important to stop and remember the small lovely moments of life. Thank you so much for sharing

    1. Anya J

      16th October 2016 at 20:17

      Dear Est,

      Yes, it truly is so very important to remember the small things in life. Those small things are the ones that truly matter on the grand scale of things. thanks for reading,
      Axx

  • Yzette

    13th October 2016 at 09:43

    dear Anya, this is so sweet. It is so special that you can share these Hygge moments with your Mormor. She looks adorable. x

    1. Anya J

      16th October 2016 at 20:18

      Dear Yzette,
      Thank you. I love her – she is an absolutely fantastic woman.
      A xx

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