I had heard the word ‘Hygge’ before but never really understood what it meant until I worked for a Scandinavian company, where it took all its meaning. It is a word that I had difficulties to grasp at first and that is even harder to pronounce.
The Danish word ‘Hygge’ does not have a direct translation in English, but it can be roughly translated as ‘cosiness’. In essence, hygge means creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people. For my family and I, Luxembourg is exactly about this. Having travelled different continents, Luxembourg remains the place that we call home and where it feels the most cosy.
In Luxembourg, Hygge happens all year long. In summer, picnics in parks, barbecues with friends, outdoor concerts and biking along the Moselle river and the vineyards give you a vibrant feeling of the country.
In winter, if you stroll around the Mullerthal region, the smell of the mulch of the Luxembourg ‘Petite Suisse’ would definitively call for a hot chocolate nestled next a wooden fire. If you are hungry, head towards the city centre where you will find various ways of warming yourself up at the Christmas market, be it with a glass of Glühwäin or with Gromperekichelcher. Let yourself be impressed by the gigantic Christmas tree and the lightening decoration brightening the city with millions of colours.
No doubt that after living 20 years in Luxembourg, I still have that hygge feeling.
The managing director of Nordea Asset Management in Luxembourg since 2021, Sinor Chhor arrived in the grand duchy more than 20 years ago from her native Brussels. Today she is a big supporter of the Luxembourg national field hockey team, where her 13-year-old-son plays.
This article first appeared in Delano’s