Danish autumn: hygge, kartofler and mørke

Brooke Taylor Fossey’s guide through Danish summer culture, from sommerhus escapes to the Scandinavian love of outdoor living.

Photograph: Kristoffer Trolle

Text: Brooke Taylor Fossey

When we left off in our June edition, I signed off with “God sommer!” dreaming of all the possibilities a Danish summer might bring. Now it’s September, and I have to be the one to say it: Sommeren er slut. The summer is over.

Summer, we barely knew ya! With a little tear in my eye at how fast it flew by, we welcome efteråret – the autumn.

I have to admit, though, I also look forward to Danish autumn because Danes do cosy so well. So let’s look at what September, October and November have in store for you – and the Danish words and expressions you’re sure to hear along the way.

Vejret - the weather

Whether said seriously or, more likely, with a glint in the eye when someone arrives soaking wet from biking in the rain, you’re sure to hear:

“Der findes ikke dårligt vejr, kun dårlig påklædning.”

There’s no bad weather, only bad clothing. Ha!

There is definitely some truth to it: Danes have all the right rain gear. So ditch that umbrella (it won’t do much good in the Danish wind!) and get yourself a proper rain jacket, rain pants, and gummistøvler – rain boots. My soaking wet sneakers remind me of this regularly. After four years, I still don’t own a pair.

And if you’re new to Denmark, you may soon discover that small talk perhaps isn’t as big a hobby here as it is in some places. But the weather? Now that’s something everyone has something to say about. And Danish autumn gives you plenty to bond over!

Det blæser – It’s windy.

Det regner – It’s raining.

Det støvregner – It’s drizzling, literally “dust-raining.”

Det står ned i stænger – It’s absolutely pouring (“It’s coming down in poles/rods.”).

Det er blevet køligt – It’s gotten chilly.

Det er gråt – It’s grey.

Hygge and uhygge

Once October comes around, you’ll definitely hear another word: hygge.

Hygge is one of those wonderfully Danish words that is more than simply “cosy.” It can describe a quiet night alone knitting under a blanket, a Friday night with friends, candles glowing on the dinner table or a few beers at a bar with colleagues. Basically, if something gives you a warm, comfortable, good feeling, it can probably be hyggeligt.

There’s fredagshygge (Friday cosiness), familiehygge (family cosiness), hyggeaften (a cosy evening), and even hyggebelysning (cosy lighting).

And there is another word that becomes particularly appropriate as October rolls around – especially with the growing tradition of Halloween in Denmark: uhygge.

Hygge is the Danish noun for cosiness. Uhygge is its darker cousin: creepy, eerie, spooky or unsettling.

And from there, you get the adjectives: hyggelig(t) and uhyggelig(t)!

The u- at the beginning of a Danish word is often used as a negative prefix. You’ll see it in words like:

sikker / usikker – certain, safe/uncertain, insecure

enig / uenig – agree/disagree

lækker / ulækker – delicious / disgusting

høflig / uhøflig – polite / impolite

But Danish likes to keep things interesting. Not every u- word is negative. Try these on for size:

uimodståelig – irresistible

uforglemmelig – unforgettable

uafhængig – independent

And if you or your kids are going out at Halloween, instead of “Trick or Treat”, in Danish, it’s “Slik eller ballade” – candy or trouble!

“Danish autumn gives you plenty to bond over – rain, wind, potatoes, hygge and the occasional lucky potato.”

Kartoffelferien and Kastanjer

When week 42 rolls around, you’ll need to know two words:

efterårsferie – autumn vacation

kartoffel – potato

The autumn break was traditionally associated with the potato harvest. Children once had time off school to help harvest the potatoes – hence the old name kartoffelferien, the potato holiday.

Today, children still get a week off school, plane ticket prices skyrocket, and parents across Denmark try to figure out how to pass the week while they are still working. Danes no longer call it kartoffelferien, but the potato still holds an important place in Danish culture.

In fact, kartoffel is a very useful Danish word to know:

nye kartofler – yummy new/young potatoes

brunede kartofler – caramelised potatoes, a Danish Christmas classic

en varm kartoffel – a difficult or uncomfortable, often political, topic

at hyppe sine egne kartofler – to look out for one’s own interests, in a negative way

And if someone calls you en heldig kartoffel, congratulations. You are a lucky person – er, potato.

And then there are the kastanjer – chestnuts.

If you have children in Denmark, you may soon discover the autumn tradition of collecting horse chestnuts and turning them into tiny animals with matches, sticks and a healthy dose of imagination.

Meet the kastanjedyr – chestnut animals: possibly Denmark’s most wholesome form of autumn engineering. And if those little chestnut creatures look familiar, you may have seen them in an altogether more sinister setting: Kastanjemanden, the popular Danish crime series where the tiny kastanjemænd (chestnut men) play a rather important role.

The November blues

As someone with a November birthday, I think November gets a bad rap in Denmark.

According to Danish poet Henrik Nordbrandt, the year in Denmark has sixteen months. In his famous poem Året har 16 måneder, November appears repeatedly at the end – a rather poetic way of describing how long this grey, dark, holiday-less month can feel.

But just as you’re starting to wonder if you’re cut out for the darkness, something else begins to appear: jul. Julefrokoster. Julelys. Christmas everything.

So find a hyggeligt spot. Pick up a hobby. Buy those rainboots (maybe I will too!). Learn to cook potatoes. And enjoy the calm before jul.

As the Danes say: Vi går en mørk tid i møde. Dark times lie ahead.

But you’re armed with hygge. And we have memories of long summer days to carry us through. Det skal nok gå. It’ll be alright.