Hygge is meant for the holidays and when you live in Portsmouth, there are many ways to find a “warm and cozy” community on the coast. Hygge, which is pronounced hoo-ga, comes from the Danish (and Norwegian) concept of finding contentment, wellbeing, and connection during the dark days of winter. Think of simple gatherings filled with laughter, connection, good food, generosity, and warmth shared.
Wentworth by the Sea offers a perfect hyggekrog, or cheery getaway nook, for starting off the season of light. Starting on December 2, the hotel offers a gathering place for the annual illumination of the Victorian hotel. With thousands of lights on balustrades, porches, and windows of this classic beauty, you’ll find a free, family-friendly celebration. Local marching bands, strolling carolers, complimentary holiday treats, mulled cider, Santa on a horse-drawn carriage, a gigantic “made on property” gingerbread house, winter buffet menus, and early seasonal rates—this is hygge by the handful.
Last year, I waited in the dark, smiling at other families. We held cider-filled mugs in mittened hands, until, with a flare of holiday magic, the lights blazed, the porch filled with song, and we cheered as the festival of light began. Hygge also embodies the value of “giving back.” The hotel partners with Operation Blessing; you can place new, unwrapped presents under the bedazzled tree in the lobby.
After the celebrations, a favorite of many families is heading to Salt’s grouped tables or to the favored Chef’s Table, with its wood-fired oven. Seafood is a specialty here, and so are shared plates, so there’s more hygge, the “mix and match” way. I usually enjoy my specialty cocktail of the season: hot buttered rum with cinnamon and nutmeg.
Next up for community hygge is the Portsmouth Tree Lighting and Holiday Parade—a “don’t miss” event. On the first Saturday of December, the blocks around Market Street fill with revelers, waiting in anticipation for the special tree to glow. Usually a white fir or spruce, the huge tree never disappoints as the bedazzled boughs shine, illuminating the downtown, before the start of the parade. Lit-up trucks, dancing elves, floats themed and decorated elicit cheers. Smiling faces and rosy cheeks abound as Portsmouth celebrates and comes alive for the holidays. Come prepared with non-perishable foods to place in shopping carts and baskets in the parade; they’ll be donated to local food banks.
My favorite hygge event is the Candlelight Stroll, which is held Fridays through Sundays for three weekends, starting December 5, at Portsmouth’s own living history museum, Strawbery Banke. Magical, traditional, and community-focused, this event is a true building of historic memories for families and friends. While you’re strolling, you can visit lit-up gardens, sing carols in the Cider Barn, clap for wandering musicians and singers, spy the Victorian Santa on a horse-drawn carriage, and tour the ornamented, garlanded historic houses. Pause to chat with “Mrs. Aldrich” or a “1950s girl” role player, and warm your hands around a blazing bonfire. Then take a whirl around the Labrie Family Skate at Puddle Dock Pond for more outdoor fun. Try to catch a performance by Ice Dancers International for a throwback in time.
The holiday season can be a flurry of activities, events, gatherings—all seasonally sensational—but what about finding the quiet in togetherness? Instead of a race to the finish line of celebrations, perhaps it’s a collection of small moments. Perhaps it’s staying present with gratitude for collective storytelling, for the annual family card game, for tea sipped together in front of a stoked fire. Candlelight and cozy slippers propped up and the smell of gingerbread. Taking time to give to others.
Connecting to loved ones is the best celebration of all. Bring your own shared hygge to the holidays, and best wishes to all for a winter in wonderland.
Smiling faces and rosy cheeks abound as Portsmouth celebrates and comes alive for the holidays.