When the snow starts flying in my part of the world, my thoughts turn to cozy time at home and to Christmas preparations. Amidst the hustle and bustle of food and gift planning, I try to let my mind linger in blissful places involving hot cocoa consumption, holiday movie watching, gift wrapping, and trips to the theater to see The Nutcracker with my daughter.
Although winter means being indoors more, and the inevitable unpleasant snow removal from our driveway to get to school and work each morning, I treasure the quiet peace that the winter brings.
About a year ago, a friend recommended a book to me about the Danish concept of hygge, a way of living that embracing happiness via time spent with family and friends, and enjoying cozy time indoors during the winter. The book is a memoir of sorts entitled The Year of Living Danishly, by Helen Russell, about a British couple who move to Denmark in the middle of January. It inspired me to look into more books on this subject, including Hygge: Unlock the Danish Art of Coziness and Happiness, by Barbara Hayden, that now happily reside on my Christmas wish list. To me, it is a philosophy of truly rewarding fellowship. As a person who loves to cozy up in a warm flannel bathrobe on the couch and chat with my husband while I knit in the evenings, this could not be more appealing.
Part of how I accomplish this inner sense of winter happiness is by embracing icy colors in my crafts and décor. I even incorporate this idea into my sacramentals, and I have several rosaries in winter-inspired colors that I enjoy praying with at this time of year.
My daughter and I have matching Our Lady of Lourdes rosaries like you see above (the blue and crystal bead mix is called “Glacier” — perfect, yes?) and I try and convince her to pray with me using it during Advent, if I can! I also love to explore a new devotional each Advent, and the beautiful winter imagery on O Radiant Dawn: An Advent and Christmas Journal this year has my heart singing!
The lack of regular sunlight in winter can be difficult on our physiology, but we can do small things that improve our winter fellowship and prayer time, both individually and in groups. Winter colors help me to do this, and this year during my cozy evening craft time, I am crocheting a blanket using blues, purples, silver, and white to help me to stay in the winter hygge spirit!
Do you have any small habits or traditions during the winter to aid you in enjoying this time of year? Have you ever explored the concept of hygge? I would love to hear about it in the comments!
Copyright 2019 Tiffany Walsh
This article was originally published at CatholicMom.com and is shared here with permission.
