From what I understand, there is no true translation from Danish to English for "hygge" and everyone can experience it differently. Danes sometimes describe the term as "cozy." I truly experienced my version of hygge a few weeks ago...
A few Fridays ago, I met my host brother on the crowded train and we made our way to my host family's house. When we got there, my host brother started making dinner and we were all just drinking yummy red wine and chatting before dinner. We sat down to a delicious dinner of chicken and veggie stir-fry, and of course, more wine. After dinner, my host parents pulled out a new game they had just bought. The game was a music trivia card game and (naturally) it was all in Danish and the categories were 60's music, 70's music, 80's music, 90's music, Pop hits, Danish hits, and European hits. My host brother and I teamed up against my host parents and needless to say, I was the handicap of our team since my knowledge of most of the categories is extremely limited. My team didn't win but it was a fabulous night of great food, wine, and company. Everything about it was so happy and cozy and fun! Denmark is really cold and somewhat dreary at times so I think Danes use hygge to stay happy and content during the long, cold, and dark winter months.
My greatest and happiest moments in life have been with my family and friends- cooking, and laughing and just hanging out. I wasn't sure what I'd miss the most about the US but after being here a few months, I have definitely realized that I miss my loved ones more than anything else in the US! Being able to have a night of hygge with my host family helped me feel more comfortable here and understand the Danish culture better and I can't wait to experience more hygge while I am here!
Oh yeah, and "det lyder hyggeligt" roughly translates to "that sounds cozy" in English :)
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