The art of wintering well

The Nordic nations know a thing or two about winter. With long, dark nights and temperatures regularly dipping below freezing, they certainly get plenty of practice.

Instead of counting down the days until spring, Denmark, Norway and Sweden have each found ways to embrace the darker months, with a few ideas that might be worth borrowing.

Hygge

First up is hygge, a Danish idea that’s all about slowing down, feeling comfortable and enjoying life’s simple pleasures, whether that’s spending time with people you love or settling down with a good book, favourite music or a film. The idea became popular in the UK a few years ago, although somewhere along the way we focused on the candles, blankets and very expensive knitwear. There’s more to hygge than that.

At The Sidings in Lytham, Trevor has embraced the idea without necessarily giving it a Danish name. A lifelong opera fan, he has discovered that he can now enjoy it online.

“I can get a lot of opera on YouTube now on the television. It’s amazing! I can go onto YouTube Music and find almost all the operas or favourite singers that I like. Also, I love piano music and you can get a lot of piano music on there.” He has also started playing chess again after a break of around 40 years, alongside neighbours ranging from experienced players to complete beginners.

Friluftsliv

But a good winter isn’t all about staying in. Norway offers friluftsliv, which roughly translates as “open air life” and celebrates spending time outdoors throughout the seasons.

Thankfully, you don’t need to scale a mountain or plunge into an icy fjord. Winter has its own rewards closer to home: clear blue skies, low sunshine, frosty gardens and the unmistakable freshness of a cold, bright day. Even a short walk can feel good, particularly when there’s somewhere warm to come back to afterwards.

There will inevitably be days when horizontal rain makes the Norwegian approach less tempting. Ann, who lives at The Sidings, has found one way around that. She enjoys a weekly movement with music class in the activity studio. “It’s good having it in the same building because in winter, the bad weather can put you off,” she says. “But if it’s here, you’ve only got to pop downstairs.”

Fika

Then there’s Sweden, and the Nordic habit that we can all embrace: fika. It’s often translated as a coffee and cake break, but there’s more to it than that. Fika is about deliberately stopping what you’re doing, sitting down and spending a little time with other people.

It’s an idea that feels very familiar in Adlington’s coffee lounges, where homeowners often describe sitting down for a coffee and finding that other people gradually join them.

At The Sidings, Ann describes much the same thing: “If anybody wants to chat, they go and sit in the coffee lounge and invariably, the crowd will gather.”

Something sweet traditionally comes with fika too. Frank at Brookfields House in Newcastle-under-Lyme enjoys baking and often shares what he makes with friends and the team. He’s made everything from cakes to cheese scones, although perfecting one favourite took a little perseverance. “It took me three attempts to perfect a lemon drizzle cake,” he says.

So perhaps the Nordic secret to winter isn’t particularly complicated after all. Enjoy the bright days outdoors and make the most of the darker ones too. Spend time doing things you enjoy, stop for coffee and conversation and, if there’s a slice of lemon drizzle cake to share, so much the better.

You can find more homeowner stories and inspiration like this in our free, bimonthly magazine, Adlington Life.

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