Dad Shares His Best Hygge Memories With His Kids

I visited Copenhagen some years ago to attend a World Congress of Children’s Writers. There I was introduced to a fascinating concept called Hygge (pronounced Hoo-Guh) by my host.

“Hygge is an intrinsic part of Danish culture. It means taking pleasure in little things of life like going for a swim, reading a book, playing with your pet, et al.”

Over the years Hygge kept popping up in articles and conversations. I did some reading and lots of thinking and realized that in essence, Hygge is freeing oneself from the regrets of the past, and the anxieties of the future and focusing on happiness in the here & now.

Looking back, I have realized that several of my memorable experiences have been Hygge, it is only now that I have a term for them.

One of my most indelible hygge memories with my father was when I was seven.

In the evening, during summer holidays, I would be absorbed in reading in my room. Papa would come and whistle at the window. I would rush into the garden open the main door and scamper back. He would be patiently waiting while I ran the entire length of the garden and jumped into his arms. I would put my hand into his pocket and remove a chikki. I would then hug him, unwrap the chikki, pop a tiny piece into his mouth and bite into the rest. The chikki cost all of ten paise, but the memory it created was priceless.

Let’s now fast forward to the time when my kids Ankita and Aniket were young. Every night, after dinner we got together for a storytelling session. I had to tell them a tale and it had to be a different one every day.

The most fun I had was telling ghost stories. Aniket, who was younger, would be sitting at a distance of a couple of feet as I started my narration. As the spooks got more macabre and the tale scarier, he would begin inching towards me. And by the time the ghoul turned into a blood-sucking vampire, Aniket would be in my lap looking at me – his face displaying a cute montage of emotions ranging from wonder, and curiosity to horror. He would cling to me and I would hug him back – and the two of us would create a perfect hygge experience.

Crafting a hygge moment doesn’t need great planning or innovation. All it requires is a slice of creativity, loads of love and a bit of time.

For instance, if you have a garden, encourage your daughter to plant a sapling, give it a name and nurture it. The plant will grow on the earth as well as in her heart and bring dollops of joy.

You could set up a Zoom session with your kids and their grandparents coming together. Just imagine what fun Gen-Ex and Gen-Next would have while connecting in cyberspace and reliving old memories while creating new ones.