Hygge

Liewe Leser

Mense word in hul duisende geforseer om tuis in kwarantyn te bly of skofte te werk of om net in klein groepies saam te kuier. ‘n Pandemie bring nuwe betekenis aan die woord samesyn.

Ewe skielik word vrees die homo sapiens se nuwe metgesel… Ons kan nie blad skud nie… ons durf nie iemand ‘n drukkie gee nie. Nou, sekerlik meer as ooit, het die mens ‘n behoefte aan kalmte, rustigheid, samesyn en geluksaligheid.

In “The Little Book of Hygge”, vertel Meik Wiking, die hoof van die Happiness Research Institute in Kopenhagen, Denemarke, ‘n storie van vriende wat Kersdag in ‘n houthut spandeer het na ‘n lang dag se stap in die sneeu. Hulle het weltevrede rondom die vuur gesit en geluister na die geknetter van die vuur toe iemand vra: “Kan hierdie enigsins meer hygge word?” “Ja, as ‘n storm buite losbars,” het ‘n vrou geantwoord.
Baie van ons voel asof die stormwolke al hoe nader skuif… Kom ons skep hygge vir ons geliefdes in ‘n tyd waar soveel mense wanhopig voel.

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Dear Reader

Worldwide, thousands of people have been instructed to isolate themselves at home, or to work shifts and to meet only in small groups. This Covid-19 pandemic has brought new meaning to the word togetherness.

Within a matter of days we had a new companion: fear. We are not to shake hands; we are not to hug. Now, more than ever before, homo sapiens has the need for calm, serenity, togetherness and bliss.

In “The Little Book of Hygge”, Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark, tells the story of friends who spent Christmas day in a wooden cabin after a long hike through the snow. They were sitting comfortably around the crackling fire when someone asked: “Can it get anymore hygge than this?” “Yes, if there is a storm outside,” a woman answered.
Many of us feel as if storm clouds are hovering.. let's concentrate on creating hygge for our loved ones in a time when many are feeling desperate.

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Our Theme: What is Hygge?

Country Living magazine summarises the concept as follows:
“Pronounced "hoo-ga," this Danish concept cannot be translated to one single word but encompasses a feeling of cozy contentment and well-being through enjoying the simple things in life.
If you've ever enjoyed reading a book indoors on a rainy Sunday or a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter’s day, you've experienced hygge without even knowing it.
Hygge is such an important part of bing Danish that it is considered "a defining feature of our cultural identity and an integral part of the national DNA," according to Meik Wiking, the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen.”

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Serenity prayer
Brian Bilston
Send me a slow news day,
a quiet, subdued day,
in which nothing much happens of note,
save for the passing of time,
the consumption of wine,
and a re-run of Murder, She Wrote.

Grant me a no news day,
a spare-me-your-views day,
in which nothing much happens at all,
except a few hours together,
some regional weather,
a day we can barely recall.

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KEEP IN MIND:
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." (Psalm 46:1) (NIV)


Gerty Basson