I have been a resident of Copenhagen for nearly two months now, a fact that still startles me. What’s even more startling is that I have yet to share with you my favorite Danish pastime: Hygge (pronounced Hoo-Geh.) It is a Danish word and concept, roughly meaning a time when family and/or friends come together and just, well, chill. Often times, mood lighting is involved.

The guidelines of hygge are loose, and leave much room for personal interpretation. However, to have proper hygge it is advised to incorporate delicious food, meaningful conversation, and a drippy wax candle to create a comfortable and “cozy” environment.

After returning from a week-long trip to Paris and London, it became apparent that Hygge is a Dane-specific concept. In the sprawling cities of France and England, many of the cafés were presented on a much grander scale, with rows of tables and an army of staff. A typical Danish café is relatively small, with employees that come from the Laissez-faire school of service. Their hands-off approach should not be mistaken for inattentiveness, but rather, simply saying “take your time, what’s the rush?”

I think the idea of hygge is so appealing to my friends and me because this “chill out” time is not only practiced by almost every Dane, but it is encouraged. Imagine that: being told that it’s OK to stop your absurdly busy schedule, take a load off and enjoy good food and good company. Personally, I think it is a ritual the US should consider adopting. And who knows, maybe it could even be used as a tool of diplomacy.