Cruising From Copenhagen

Copenhagen’s beloved Little Mermaid, known from the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, will leave the city in 2010. She will travel around the world to be part of World Expo in Shanghai from April to November 2010. The Little Mermaid has never left her spot at Langelinie Pier, where cruise ships dock, since the statue was erected in 1913. While in Shanghai, her place in Copenhagen will be temporarily taken by a sculpture created by a Chinese artist.

To understand Copenhagen and the Danes, you must grasp the concept of “hygge.” The candle-lit, snow-covered, outdoor tables on a snowy night in Copenhagen are one example of hygge.

Although translated as “coziness,” hygge has no exact English equivalent. It is a complete absence of anything annoying, irritating, or emotionally overwhelming, and the presence of and pleasure from comforting, gentle, and soothing things.

Hygge is often associated with family and close friends. Christmas time when loved ones sit close together with candles lit on a cold rainy night is “hygge”, as is grilling a pølse (Danish sausage) on a long summer evening.

These examples, although they do not precisely define “hygge”, can give an English speaker an idea of a deeply valued traditional concept of Danish culture.