Hygge and Fika

aka how Scandinavians get through the winter (and life in general).

We lived in Finland for a year when I was in 6th grade. My Dad was taking a sabbatical from teaching to get his doctorate and decided it would be a good chance to head to Scandinavia and meet our distant relatives on his (the Tarkiainen) side of my family.

All I really remember from that year is that it was very cold, very dark, and there was a lot of snow. To be fair, we weren’t there for much of the summer - we traveled Europe for a few weeks before returning home - when it doesn’t get dark at all, which is why there were blackout drapes on all the windows of our apartment. Or they could have been left over from the wars with Russia…I was only 12, so I didn’t think about it too much.

However, we did play in trenches in the playground at our apartment complex that were remnants of Russia’s invasion of Finland during the Winter War in 1939. My grandparents left Finland around 1918 when Russia was inciting political violence in Finland, and Finns were being conscripted into the Russian army, so they were long gone by WWII. (My grandmother’s uncle actually served in the Russian Army, but managed to escape.) Anyway, they settled here in the U.S. and started raising chickens. And the rest is history.

But back to living in Finland. My brother and I had to learn to cross country ski, and we skied to school in the dark and skied home in the dark. My Mom skied to the grocery store and pulled a sled of groceries home. I learned to knit mittens that year.

Everyone spoke English, even back then and already in the 6th grade, so I didn’t need to learn to speak Finnish, but we still did pick up a few words: Hyvää Joulua! (Merry Christmas), Kiitos (thank you), and of course we learned to count to ten: yksi, kaksi, kolme, nelja, viisi, kuusi, seitseman, kahdeksan, yhdeksan, kymmenen. And we grew up knowing what “sisu” was. It’s a hard word to translate, but it roughly means, “the ability to sustain determination, will, and perseverance in the face of adversity.” (Probably coined as a result of being neighbors with Russia… oh, and living in the cold and darkness!)

Finnish isn’t an easy language, clearly. In fact, I’ve read it’s one of the hardest languages to learn and is nothing like Swedish or Norwegian, which are both Germanic languages.

But, the Scandinavian countries do share some things in common. Hygge. If you’re not familiar with the concept, again, it’s difficult to translate exactly, but basically it’s creating a sense of peace and relaxation in a cozy space that often incorporates candles, a fire, pillows, blankets, etc. It’s about self care and taking time for yourself or sharing some quiet time with loved ones. A common definition is, “a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being”.

I recently redid our master bath. Keeping hygge in mind, I went very minimalist, getting rid of all the clutter and patterns, and I turned it into a relaxing spa-like atmosphere. I love how it turned out and it wasn’t even very expensive. A few small changes and the whole vibe was immediately transformed from crowded and busy to serene.

And now, when I brush my teeth and wash my face before going to bed, I can literally feel a sense of calm washing over me and I even feel like I sleep better. Hygge really is a thing! And it makes those looooooong dark winter evenings much more enjoyable.

Another Scandinavian term is “fika”. Fika is literally a coffee break. Finns and Swedes especially will sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee (Swedish egg coffee, anyone?) and baked goods sometime in the mid-morning and then again in the mid-afternoon. A kind of pick-me-up and chance to catch up with friends, family or co-workers or to just slow down for a minute. I always remember visiting my grandmother and her sitting enjoying her coffee and sweet roll or other pastry. I definitely inherited both her love of coffee and her sweet tooth!

On my last trip to New York City, I visited a Swedish bakery called Fabrique and they had the most delicious cardamom buns. I recently found a recipe that I’m going to try so I can recreate them at home. I’m really excited to try making them. They’re that good. And that’s one Scandinavian pastry I’ve never made. I have a great braided Pulla bread recipe that I make all the time (which is also in my cookbook) and which also uses cardamom, and I make Semlor buns for Lent (that recipe might be in my next cookbook…), but I’ve never made these cardamom buns.

Suffice it to say, I love both traditions of hygge and fika. Living in Maine now, we experience lots of darkness and lots of snow and cold, similar to that in Scandinavia, and I think that slowing down, creating a cozy space, and enjoying some simple pleasures is so good for anyone’s mental health. I actually enjoy winters here. A fire in the wood stove, a hot cup of something to drink - maybe a mug of glogg? - a fun knitting project, good book or movie, a challenging jigsaw puzzle or crossword and I’m happy.

Do you hygge? Or fika? Do you have any tips? And if not, why not start this winter?