21 Hygge Christmas Ideas to Warm Your Soul

How to have a Cozy Hygge Christmas will give you ideas on creating the perfect holiday recipe for fun with the whole family!  

“The best of all gifts around my Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.” – Burton Hills

Memories are what makes the holiday season so special, so make sure to pencil in some heart-warming traditions that will last longer than any gift in your family’s memories.

I just started a new Facebook group called Creating a Cozy Life.  It’s a group where we share recipes, pictures of things that leave you in awe, and ideas on how to make your life just a little bit more snug.  Join here to be part of the virtual cozy cabin.  

How do you say Hygge?

I pronounced hygge wrong for months before I finally found out I was saying it wrong. “Hoo-gah” is the correct way to say it. If you want even more clarification there are Youtube videos that will help you out. Here’s how you pronounce it.

Where did Hygge come from?

The word hygge originally came from Norway.  It’s translation loosely meant well-being.  The Danish adopted the word as their own and they embody the hygge lifestyle.  Danes are among the happiest people in the world and they attribute their happiness in part to hygge. 

What is Hygge?

Hygge cannot be summarized in just a word or even a sentence.  The best way I can describe it is an outlook on life that focuses on simple pleasures and taking the time to cultivate more of them in your life. 

It’s when you give your body, mind and spirit a rest and enjoy the good things in life, like a sunrise or sunset, reading a book in front of crackling fire, taking the time to savor a delicious mug of gourmet tea, and spending time with friends and family in a comfortable setting. 

What makes a Hygge Lifestyle? 

Instead of living your life on autopilot, hygge is a way of life that makes sure you live your life in a way that brings deep contentment to your soul. 

Sometimes the outer things in life (money, power, achievements) aren’t the things that will make us happy.  A hygge life encourages us to look at what truly brings us joy and it to make sure we include those things in our days. 

Resources on Hygge Living: 

The Hygge House is a famous blog that focuses on all thing hygge.  She covers hygge décor and lifestyle ideas. 

Here’s an article on how two friends got together and created a company devoted to hygge wallpaper.  This article is in Forbes magazine.  You can find it here.  

I love a YouTube channel with a host that actually lives in Denmark.  You can find it here.

Finding that balance between getting things done and learning to schedule downtime is what we all need to live happy-centered days.

My Other Posts on the Hygge Lifestyle:  

21 Hygge Christmas Stocking Stuffer Ideas 

Hygge Family Dinner Traditions to Try Tonight 

31 Hygge Winter Ideas to Nurture Yourself 

Here are the 21 Hygge Christmas Ideas to Warm Your Soul: 

1) Christmas camping.

A magical holiday memory is letting your children stay downstairs and sleep under the lit Christmas tree in sleeping bags.  Turn out all the lights except for the glow of the tree.  

Make sure you take photographs after they go to sleep, so you have these moments frozen in time for when the kids grow up and they no longer want to do it.  

2) Holiday dishes.  

A fun holiday tradition is to have a set of Christmas-themed dishes to use starting December 1st until Christmas.  

You could either get an entire set of the same kind of dishes, or you can piece your holiday table settings together by picking up individual pieces at thrift stores.  

3) Snow angels.

Your mission, if you choose to accept it is to cover your town with snow angels.

The world could use a few more angels, don’t you think? Why not add a touch of fun to your town with angelic art?

3) Same time next year.  

Take a photo of your family in the same position and same place every year.  It can be a picture with Santa, in front of the stockings or tree, or even making snowman.  

You’ll have beautiful documentation of your kids growing up on this magical holiday.  

4) Festival of trees.  

Make it an annual tradition to go with your family to your local Festival of Trees.  It’s an opportunity to see some of the creative talent in your own backyard.  

You might even get an idea or two on decorating your own home using the ideas from the festival.  

5) Family interviews.  

Video tape your family members after Christmas and ask them to share their favorite holiday moments of the year.  Record what they are most grateful.  

To have recordings of your kids talking about what makes the holiday season so magical throughout the years is a priceless gift that will continue to give.  

6) Matching pajamas.  

Celebrate being a family by getting everyone matching pajamas to wear on Christmas Eve.  

7) Ornaments with history.

Make your Christmas tree a historical display of your lives together.  Fill the branches with ornaments that you picked up on family vacations, ornaments that were given as a gift to celebrate an accomplishment or homemade ornaments.  

Keep a journal that will list the ornaments and the history.  While your family is decorating the tree, talk about your memories associated with the ornament.  

8) Holiday windows.  

Put each family member in charge of decorating one window in your home.  Hold a contest where you give prizes out for the most creative one. 

They can either decorate the window, or if there’s a window ledge that can be where the holiday display is created. 

9) Secret angel.  

Place all your family member names in a bowl and each person draws a name and becomes his or her secret angel.  

The idea is to do nice things for the person you drew without being caught.  On Christmas Eve, everyone takes a guess who his or her secret angel is and then they are revealed during dinner.

10) Movie night.   

Designate one day to be a magical Christmas movie marathon extravaganza.  Have everything ready to get comfortable and watch all the classic movies we have all come to love. 

Set up a hot chocolate bar, have piles of blankets ready, pizza ready to go in the oven and lots of pillows for everyone to settle in and enjoy the day.  

11) Happy birthday.  

When I was at my Aunt Bev’s house for Christmas one year, after dinner she brought out a Christmas cake with lit with candles.  She emerged through the kitchen singing “Happy Birthday Jesus!” 

Sometimes we forget why we are celebrating Christmas in the first place.  A birthday cake in honor of Jesus’ birth is the perfect tradition to add to your holiday.  

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12) Creative gathering.  

Christmas can be overwhelming, so why not put together a work party with your friends so it becomes way more fun?  

Some of the ideas you can do are: cookie decorating, present wrapping, or even wreath making.  

Make it a potluck and have everyone bring their own supplies so there isn’t any stress on you.  

13) Yule log. 

The tradition of burning a yule log at Christmas has been around for a long time.  It was first noted in 1184.  

Burning the log symbolized Christ’s triumph over sin.  It also can symbolize burning all the bad feelings of the last year when the log turns to ash.  

14) Gone, but not forgotten.  

Place the pictures of loved ones in small frames and place on the fireplace mantel.  You can add a bit of evergreen around the pictures to symbolize eternal life. 

You could also put photos in small frames and hang them on the Christmas tree.  

Tell your children Christmas stories of your loved ones, so their memories continue to live on in future generations.  

15) Christmas card blessing.  

Every night at dinner, starting December 1st – take a Christmas card you received out of the pile and send a blessing to the family.  

16) Christmas pickle. 

This fun tradition is thought to originate in the late 19th century in America.  You hide a pickle ornament on the Christmas tree to be found on Christmas morning.  

The first person that finds the ornament either receives an extra gift from Santa or has a year of good fortune.  

Weaving in old traditions into our holiday season is very hygge and this idea is a simple one to add-on to your family’s activities.  

17) It’s show time. 

Seeing a live performance during the Christmas season is pure magic.  Make it a holiday tradition to include either a play, musical, or dance performance in your family activity list.  

Your tradition can be to see the Nutcracker every year or if your family likes variety, you can pick a new performance to attend annually.  

18) Natural decor.  

Using natural Christmas decorations in your home will melt even the frostiest of hearts.  There’s a reason movies still show families stringing popcorn and cranberries into garland.  

There are so many different way you can get your family involved in cloaking your home in holiday wonder, its hard to pick from.  

From foraging for evergreen branches, berries, and acorns in the forest to drying orange slices – the possibilities are endless.  

19) Christmas lights.  

My family jumps in a van every Christmas loaded with thermos of coffee, hot cocoa, and hot apple cider and snacks.  We then tour all the best areas for Christmas lights.  

We saw this gingerbread house on one of the tours.  

20) A holiday puzzle.  

Have one table dedicated to putting together a jigsaw puzzle back together starting at the beginning of December.  Make sure you get one with lots of pieces so it takes awhile to complete the project.  

21) Cozy nook. 

Transform an area of your home into a magical reading nook.  Add holiday lights and comfy chairs.  Have a stack of blankets ready to be used.  

Read your favorite Christmas stories to each other in a cozy ambience.  

We’ve reached the end of 21 Hygge Christmas Ideas to Warm Your Soul.  I hope you enjoyed it!

Let me know in the comments below what your favorite holiday tradition is.  

Make sure you sign up so you get every post delivered to your in-box.  You wouldn’t want to miss articles like Cozy Hygge Bedtime Rituals to Try Tonight.  

Thanks for stopping by!

Related Posts: 

Embrace Hygge at Work: Turn Your Office Into a Cozy Place 

Best Hygge Books to Inspire a Cozy Life