There aren’t many things that can tear me away from sofa, soup and Netflix on a Monday evening, but when Young’s offered me cake, whiskey, tea and blankets, I couldn’t really say no. So I put on some alright clothes, grabbed a pal and headed out to Finch’s in Moorgate for some well-needed R&R.
Coinciding with Blue Monday (which has been hailed the most depressing day of the year), Young’s transformed the pub into a two-floor ‘House of Happiness’ for people to celebrate ‘Hygge’ and enjoy the little things that bring us joy in life, all in one place.
Finch’s is one of those cosy, dimly-lit places where you instantly feel at home, even though you’re well aware it’s not. I wanted to curl up in an armchair with a glass of red and have a bit of a natter. But there wasn’t time for that, as we were immediately greeted and given, oh, slippers and eye-masks! Sweet.
After some whiskey tasting (oof) and canapes, we headed downstairs for a talk about fear and happiness from Laughology, before racing straight back to the cake-decorating table to pile a heck-load of chocolate sauce and sprinkles onto cupcakes. Probably shouldn’t have worn lipstick, but when it tastes that good who cares.
We then sat down to act like big kids and enjoy some colouring, before sending a few handwritten notes to every address we could remember off the top of our heads. So. Many. Activities. I was hygging all over the place and I was loving it.
So why do little things like this make us so happy? And what IS Hygge exactly?
Hygge (have I said that enough yet?), is a Danish concept that’s all about life’s simple, little pleasures. Whether that be snuggling into freshly washed sheets or biting into a gooey chocolate cake, it’s these teeny things that add up into one big ball of happy.
And believe it or not, heading down to a pub or restaurant emerged as one of the happiest places for us Brits outside the home in a recent survey, so it’s no wonder we were having such a blast. Great excuse to go out a bit more, eh?
If you want to grab yourself a slice of hygge, you can find your closest Young’s pub in London or dotted around the UK.
