Hygge - The Danish Art of Happiness Quiz

Answer: Cosy

There is no perfect English translation for the word hygge as it is a state of mind which can encompass many feelings and descriptive words. Comfort, joy, peace, happiness, togetherness and love are just to name a few. Hygge originated from a Norwegian word but it is described in the Collins English Dictionary as "A concept, originating in Denmark, of creating cosy and convivial atmospheres that promote wellbeing."

Hygge is more than an atmosphere of cosiness and contentment. It is about our lifestyle, surroundings, and the people we wish to share them with. Hygge is a difficult state of mind to achieve on your own but not completely impossible. Close the curtains to the storm outside, snuggle up in a blanket and watch the flickering candles with a glass of wine, or hot bowl of soup, as you watch an episode of "Midsomer Murders" (or equivalent). That safe and snug feeling you get inside is hygge.

Being alone, being together, being outdoors, being indoors, finishing work on a Friday afternoon, sitting and talking to friends for hours on end, having a long soak in a bath, building sandcastles, or wrapped up in a warm coat and scarf as you build a snowman. That's hygge!

Answer: Hyg dig

Pronouncing the word "hygge" is an art in itself and many English-speaking people would pronounce the word differently, all depending on their regional dialect and which country they come from. Some would say "huggy" or "hi-gee", and others would say "hue-ga" or "higgy".

The word is used several ways in a sentence including hygge (noun), hyggelig (adjective) and hyggeligt (adjective and adverb).

"I am going to hygge with friends."
"It was another hyggelig night to remember."
"The barbeque yesterday was hyggeligt".

The word hygge was voted one of the most popular words in 2016 along with Brexit and Trumpism. Other words you can add to your hygge dictionary include "pigehygge" (girl power), "hyggefiskeri" (enjoy fishing), "hyggebamsi" (fun teddy bear), "vovsehygge" (doggie fun) and "hyg dig" (have fun).

Farvel (goodbye), sov godt (sleep well) and tillykke (congratulations) are all Danish types of greeting.

Answer: Candle

Artificial lighting is anathema to those wishing to get the hygge vibe. Low and calm lighting with reduced glare is a key element to hygge during the winter months. Candles provide an emotional cosiness where people automatically relax as they stare into a flickering flame.

Danish people on average use 5.79 kilos of candles per person each year, and approximately 28% of Danes light candles every day.

If you are a pet owner like I am, and worried about candles being a fire hazard, consider getting battery operated candles instead that are made with real wax. You will find they are equally as effective. Log fires are also calming and therapeutic. If you don't have a real log fire, then try one of the many virtual log fireplace screensavers on television. You can relax to the crackling sounds of a real fire and not have to worry about cleaning the sooty fireplace in the morning.

Answer: A family picnic in the woods

Hygge is about being active and not passive, and the summer months is an ideal time to get outside and connect with nature. Bungee jumping and other extreme sports are for adrenaline junkies so not ideal to achieve the state of relaxation that hygge evokes. The simple things in life give people the most pleasure. The Danes love their bicycles and use them to cycle everywhere. Other outside activities considered hyggelig include dog walking, outdoor barbeques, picnics, fishing and making footprints in the sand. You could even go the whole hog and envelope nature by hugging a tree! Hygge during the summer months is also about bottling up all the warm smells and everlasting memories to take with you through the dark days and nights of winter.

Hygge in the spring is the smell of freshly mown grass and April showers. Hygge in the autumn is splashing through puddles, the smell of woodsmoke, and breathing in the frosty air. Hygge in the winter is wrapping up in oversized woolies, building snowmen or visiting windswept coasts.

Answer: Aunt Birgit's wedding arrangements

There is no actual recipe for hygge as it can include one ingredient, or several ingredients mixed together. An example would be to mix 500g of comfort, 500g of indulgence and 500g of company together in one bowl. Add to this a cup of relaxation, then garnish with a sprinkling of togetherness.

Togetherness is a key part of hygge and there is no better way than at the dinner table where people can discuss family life and friendships, experiences and adventures, even if the stories have been told time and time again. Avoid discussing taboo subjects such as politics, money and religion, as these can lead to volatile arguments. People may feel uncomfortable if they are challenged about their personal theories and beliefs, even close family and friends. Leave those debates until another time. You don't have to have a formal dinner setting either as informal get togethers with scatter cushions and squishy sofas do just as well. The key ingredient to a hygge dinner is to savour each other's company as much as the food.

Answer: Gulerod pinde

Hygge is about being kind to yourself and giving yourself a special treat to savour every now and then. Anything healthy, such as carrot sticks or salads, go straight out the window. Think instead of toasted marshmallows, hot chocolate with lashings of cream or warming soups with crusty bread. Hygge food can include croque-monsieur in France, pierogi in Poland, borscht in Russia, chili mac in the USA, or beef stew and dumplings in the UK. Fondue nights, barbeques and picnics are an ideal time for people to congregate together and hygge.

Kanelbulle is a cinnamon roll, snobrod is campfire bread, and flaeskesteg is roast pork with crispy crackling, all of which are satisfying hygge food according to the Danes. Gulerod pinde translated into English is carrot sticks and therefore not typically hyggelig.

Answer: Gløgg

Punsch is a Danish liqueur made with arrack, Gammel Dansk a liqueur bitters made with herbs and spices, and akvavit is made from distilled grains or potato. Gløgg is a mulled wine made with heated red wine, sugar, spices, port and brandy (optional). This is served in a glass over a handful of almonds and raisins.

A non-alcoholic version can be made with fruit juice instead of wine. Many Danes enjoy going to gløgg parties near Christmastime, where they relax with a glass (or two) of gløgg, æbleskiver which is a pancake puff dusted in sugar, and many varieties of ginger biscuits.

Answer: Agnes Obel

What does hygge music sound like? It all depends on the people, the atmosphere and their state of mind. It needs to invoke intimacy, warmth and that little extra something that will tickle your heartstrings. "My Way" by Frank Sinatra, "Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers, "Hello" by Lionel Richie, "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen and "Hello" by Adele are just a few that could be added to a hygge songlist. The Sex Pistols, Iron Maiden or Black Sabbath can be left for another day.

Danish people love music and they enjoy a variety of different styles, from classical to pop and rock, from folk to jazz and rap. They even have two national anthems. Street festivals are favoured amongst the Danes and these can range from large outdoor concerts to soft background music coming from an outside cafe. Traditional Danish hygge music is relaxing, soft, smooth and slightly folksy. This includes "Riverside" and "Falling, Catching" by Agnes Obel from her 2010 debut album, "Philharmonics".

Answer: Tivoli Gardens

Julehygge describes the fun and coziness around the Christmas season. Danish winters are long, dark and cold, so the Danes bring as much love and warmth into their lives as they can during this period. Christmas markets started in Germany before spreading to Scandinavia and the rest of Europe, and beyond.

The Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen have a Christmas market each year. Rows upon rows of little wooden chalets line the gardens, all lit up at night-time with candles and fairy lights, decorated nativity scenes, the aroma of orange and spice, toasted nuts and copious amounts of their mulled wine called glogg. Young lovers walk hand in hand starting their new life together, families walk hand in hand and create new memories, and elderly couples walk hand in hand reliving old memories, all of which add to an atmosphere of cozy contentment which is hyggelig.

Answer: Snowdrop letter

There are many Danish traditions and gaekkebrev, or snowdrop letter, is just one of them. The word gaekke means "fool". The snowdrop flower blooms during the winter and fools people into believing that spring or summer is just around the corner. Gaekkebrev is similar to a Valentine card where the sender's identity is kept a secret. The snowdrop letter is sent to another person to fool them in a warm and delightful way; fun for the sender and with a warm and fuzzy, hygge feeling for the recipient which makes them feel special.

To make a gaekkebrev, take a piece of paper and fold it in half, and then half again. Cut out tiny shapes so that when that paper is opened, it displays an intricate pattern. It is very similar to a paper snowflake. The sender then writes a short poem or rhyme inside (see below for an example) and signs their name with dots instead of letters. They send it to a friend or someone in their family. If their identity remains a secret, they are awarded a chocolate Easter egg.

"Snowdrop, snowdrop, snowdrop fine,
Omen true of hope divine,
From the heart of winter bring
Thy delightful hope of spring.
Guess my name I humbly beg.
Your reward: An Easter-Egg.
Let these puzzling dots proclaim
Every letter in my name".