Find out what 'hygge' is and an especial for World Book Day
Today you will skip the lockdown... with the trend that astonishes by promoting 'good live' and thanks to literature. We're going to boost the five senses and the inteligence.
The Danish term "hygge" (read hooga) is the action of creating the perfect atmosphere to enjoy without distractions. Are you interested? Continue reading.
While the Danish citizens are seeing the snow falling from their homes, they ask themselves: Why we don't replicate the beauty of the outdoors at home? That's when Nordic interior design comes into play. It uses: clear wood, geometry in its opposite colour -black- to give distinction to the space and, finally, minimalist functionality.
But the Nordic style, although essential, is not the only thing that characterizes a trully "hygge" experience. You also need the right attitude. To achieve it you must:
1. Unplug any digital device. It's a time for oneself.
2. Reserve a place for plants in the living room. They also contribute to our relaxation.
3. Prepare yourself a cup of: coffee, tea or hot chocolate (for warmer latitudes a refreshing drink is also useful) or a little of wine and something sweet. Put on some soft music to enrich the sensory experience.
4. How can you live a moment of extreme pleasure without soft elements? It is impossible, the soft texture of: sofa, cushions or poufs triggers the comfort sensation. By the way, the two previous points are discussed in our blog... Without being Danish!
5. Do you want to get a proficiency in 'hygge' lifestyle? You must have a fireplace, candles and fragrances. At this point, you have designed the 'hyggekrog' your corner to curl up with a book. There is no confinement that can hold the imagination!
Since 1995, 23 April has been World Book Day moreover Sant Jordi is celebrated in Catalonia. Here is our list of books:
1. Social criticism novel: 'The last humiliation' by Rea Galanaki the author 'paints' a fresco of Greek society in the crisis of 2008.
2. Economy: 'The common good economy ' by Jean Tirole. The 2014 Nobel Prize winner wrotes an essay on what he thinks the direction of this discipline should be in order to be more useful. Link to buy it.
3. Social criticism novel: 'Diary of the year of the plague' by Daniel Defoe, the author of Robinson Crusoe, portrays how we act when we are threatened. After all, human beings, whether in the 17th or 21st century, never change: they are guided by their instinct to survive.
4. Poetry: All the poetry of Joan Margarit, winner of the Cervantes Prize. Do not renounce to have all the work of the great Catalan poet alive.
5. Essay: 'Voices of Chernobyl: A Chronicle of the Future'. Svetlana Aleksievitch, the 2015 Nobel Prize winner, sets her brilliant sights on serving the truth. In times of 'fake news' is a worthy book.
6. Narrative: 'The Saltán tsar': Alexander Pushkin Beautiful story from Russian folk tales.
7. Literature in capital letters: 'Tragedies of William Shakespeare'. They do not need a summary, they are genius.
8. Fiction: '1984' by George Orwell, dystopic books are now even more atractive, in part, because part of the imagined is very close to happen. What do you think?.
9. History: 'The German War: an armed nation 1939-1945' by Nicholas Stargardt. The Second World War reconstructed through letters from German soldiers from the frontline. The author unmasks the Nazi propaganda, atrocities... But also the soldiers and their families feelings . It is a hard book because of what it says and because it testifies that evil is done by the common citizen.
10. Fiction novel: 'A Panther in the Basement' by Amos Oz, in subtle contrast to the previous book, the Israeli author writes a novel full of sensitivity but which makes very clear the contrast between the poisonous notion of 'betray' Israel during british mandate and the beauty of friendship.
We wish you a fantastic Sant Jordi in a trully 'hygge' atmosphere.