The importance of being “koselig”

In the years I lived in Norway, the word I heard at work or with friends mostly was ‘koselig.’

It is a very important concept that one must understand and embrace when living in Norway. Many English speakers translate it as ‘cosy,’ meaning ‘warm’ or ‘atmospheric,’ but this expression doesn’t suffice to cover everything that ‘koselig’ can convey.

This concept is difficult to translate for those who don’t live in Norway, but essentially, almost everything can be ‘koselig’: a home, a conversation, a dinner, a person, a company. We could define it as something or someone or an atmosphere that makes you feel a deep sense of comfort within yourself, in a way that everything is simple and comforting.

So, if someone leaves your home after a visit and says, ‘det var kjempe koselig’ (it was very nice/warm) and gives you a hug, then you are likely on the way to making a new friend. Although this could be just the beginning: friendship in Norway can go through many stages. ‘Koselig’ is something like an emotion for me. A ‘koselig’ atmosphere includes candles, good music, warm colors around you, a fire in the fireplace or stove, good food on the table, wine, and people you like, feeling comfortable with them, chatting all night with a little alcohol and inner warmth. Of course, the feeling of ‘koselig’ applies to all seasons, not just winter. ‘Koselig’ can be the decoration in a home or a ‘koselig’ kitchen or a ‘koselig’ cup or something ‘koselig’ you do on the weekend.

In any southern European country, we don’t feel the need to have nice things inside our homes because the whole purpose of social life is to be outside: on the beach, in a garden, on the street, on a café terrace. The months that are too cold to be outside are few, and therefore, it doesn’t come to our minds to invest much money in renovating our interior space as often as the Norwegians do– Norwegians, incidentally, invest a lot of money in renovation – or to make additional efforts to make it exceptionally welcoming and warm. It’s already warm outside, the windows are open, and we eat fresh fruits and vegetables at any time. We don’t need to create a sense of comfort from it; we just call it life. But in Norway, it’s completely different. Winters can be long, nights as well (especially in the northern part of Norway), and then you never know when spring and summer will come. During the endless summer in Greece, we know for sure that tomorrow will be like today, sunny and warm. That I can wake up and dive with my swimsuit without looking out the window or checking the weather. That winter clothes are deep in my closet and won’t come out until next November.

However, in Norway, no one can be sure, even in July or August, that every day will be equally warm and sunny. So, Norwegians have learned to seize the moment. The moment, in summer, when the sun is warm enough to go sit in a park or on an island and swim, or when you can wear a light dress or shorts. The moment, in winter, when there is enough snow to go skiing with your friends or your child or your dog and enjoy waffles in a ‘hytte’ (mountain cabin) along the way. Seize the opportunity because tomorrow it may be rainy and ‘grått’ (gray), and you may need to take out your jacket from the closet and say goodbye to summer for this year (and it’s July!!). So, for all these uncertain times, Norwegians need other forms of warmth to keep them going: tequila or aquavit (Norwegian potato schnapps) and ‘koselighet.’ It’s like an internal summer that Norwegians create for themselves to feel warm all year round, regardless of conditions.

Perhaps another explanation is that Norwegians, who have not been raised as a people to express their emotions much, had the smart idea to create a single term that expresses love, friendship, comfort, trust, and, above all, happiness. Practical!

Let’s seize this opportunity to feel ‘koselig’ within ourselves in ways that express us best.