Hygge is one of those Nordic words — actually, it’s Danish — that immediately gives you a feeling of comfort, a sense of friendly conviviality, a rosy glow. Its proximity to “hug” in English may be a linguistic coincidence but it is a term that has come to the fore in recent years, whether as an expression linked to the continuing fascination with the Nordic way of life or alluding to design elements of Scandinavian furniture or as a reference to the sometimes-impenetrable intricacies of a dark police TV series, often involving a bridge.

Let’s get this Scandinavia/Nordic thing out of the way. Scandinavia refers to Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, countries with a roughly common heritage, culture, language and currency but with enough between them in centuries past to persuade their various peoples to go their separate ways. Maybe there wasn’t so muchhygge about in those days …

The Nordic count