How to Enjoy Christmas Wonder through Hygge this Season

Image by Andreas Böhm from Pixabay

The Christmas season is wonderful, but you may miss Christmas wonder if you’re too busy to notice. When you’re rushing around trying to complete all the items on your to-do list, you can rush right past what God is doing around you. But when you pause to slow down, reflect, and pay full attention with all your senses, you can experience Christmas wonder in all sorts of ways: Christmas lights that remind you of how Jesus shines the light of hope in this dark world, Christmas music that inspires you to worship God for his creativity, acts of kindness that help you feel the power of God’s love, and more. The key is being still. God says in Psalm 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God…”. The way you know God – the source of all wonder – more is by being still, so you can pay close attention to God’s constant presence with you. You know that cozy, peaceful feeling of well-being you get when you’re still and fully present? That’s part of the Nordic concept of hygge, and hygge practices can open doors for you to experience more of God’s presence during this Christmas season.

When I visited Denmark and Sweden this summer, I discovered how deeply people there make space in their lives for inspiring activities all year long, and that helps strengthen their well-being and faith. During the Christmas season, it’s dark and cold in both Denmark and Sweden, but through hygge practices – such as lighting candles, baking bread, or just sitting by a window with a blanket to watch a nature scene outside – people connect with God’s wonder in simple yet significant ways. Learn more about hygge and the related concepts of fika breaks and lagom appreciation in my Crosswalk.com articles about visiting both Nordic countries.

A Christmas Season Challenge for You

This Christmas season, choose just one simple practice from the hygge practices below that helps you experience God’s wonder. Try it every day for a week. Then reflect:

• What surprised you?

• When and where did you notice God’s presence with you the most?

• How did you feel peace, gratitude, or joy as you discovered the wonder of God’s work around you?

After that first week, try adding another practice. Later, add any other practices you enjoy, if you like. Let these hygge practices gradually reshape your rhythm throughout the Christmas season, so you can get to know God better during this time of celebrating God as Immanuel, which means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23).

5 Hygge Practices to Experience More of God’s Wonder this Christmas Season

• Light a candle and slow down to enjoy it: People in both Denmark and Sweden light candles a lot – at home, in restaurants, and even on their desks at work. Candle flames soften the environment, which can help you feel more peace. When you light a candle at home, treat it as an invitation to slow down. Turn off harsh lights, put your phone aside, and sit quietly in front of the candle for a few minutes. Watch the flame flicker. Feel your breathing steady. Let that moment remind you that God is near, and that God’s light shines stronger than the darkness in this fallen world (John 1:5).

• Practice prayer and meditation with awe: Prayer and meditation is where hygge and holiness meet. In whatever ways work best for you, pray (talk to God) and meditate (listen to God) every day at a time that works well in your schedule (like in the morning before breakfast or in the evening at bedtime). Try out different ways of communicating with God, and build prayer and meditation habits you enjoy. When you do, you’ll see that communicating with your Creator is an opportunity instead of an obligation. You’ll start to be so inspired with awe that you’ll look forward to every time you can spend with God, and you’ll find yourself checking in with God throughout your day, as well.

• Take wonder walks in nature: Wonder walks are times of intentionally searching for God’s wonder while walking. Even a five-minute walk can reconnect you with the wonder of God’s creation. Step outside – bundle up if it’s cold – and pay attention to what you see, hear, and feel. Enjoy watching a colorful sunset, listen to birds singing, notice how the wind feels, and much more. You’ll always find something to inspire you in nature, because (as Romans 1:19-20 says) every part of creation reveals something about the Creator.

• Share God’s love through acts of kindness: Hygge thrives in community, when people gather simply and authentically. Try brewing a pot of tea, lighting a candle, and inviting a friend or family member to sit and talk. You can share what you’re grateful for this year or tell stories of how God has surprised you. Enjoy your conversation, and pray for each other afterward. Also, look for opportunities to spread God’s love through intentional acts of kindness to the people you know. You can bake Christmas cookies for a neighbor, send a handwritten note to a friend who needs encouragement, help a family member with a chore or errand, or do whatever else the Holy Spirit leads you to do.

• Keep a record of blessings and give thanks for them daily: An important part of practicing hygge is appreciating what’s good in your life right now. Try this: every evening, write down one specific blessing that made you feel grateful. The blessings can be simple, like your child’s laughter, an encouraging text from a friend, or a peaceful time cuddling with your cat or dog. After you write each blessing, say a short prayer to thank God for sending it to you. Over time, you’ll have a list of blessings that show how faithfully and wonderfully God is at work in your life.

This Christmas season, I hope your home will be filled not just with decorations and to-do lists, but with awe. As you practice hygge, you’ll discover that you don’t have to do more to experience Christmas wonder. You can discover it in what God is already doing, all around you!

Learn more about experiencing God’s wonder in Wake Up to Wonder (order the paperback or the e-book) and Wonder Through the Year: A Daily Devotional for Every Year (order the paperback or the e-book).