Some people have become familiar with the Danish concept of hygge in the past several years when reading explanations for Denmark’s top ranking in the international happiness surveys. It refers to a special feeling of comfortable conviviality among family and friends. The adjective hyggelig is translated as “cozy.” For many people who enjoy visiting their local pubs and cafes regularly, hygge has been one of the main things they have missed since the lockdown went into effect more than two months ago.

Where everybody knows your name

Yesterday restaurants, cafes and bars were open for business again. For some of the regulars at the local pubs (DK) it was a great relief to be able to sit down in a familiar booth and toast to a reunion with their friends. Some retirees showed up soon after the place opened at 10 a.m. and started off with a cup of coffee. “It’s been pure hell psychologically,” said one. “I hadn’t smoked in a year and a half, but now I started again. Shit-crisis.”

“It’s been terrible not to have anyone to pester, tease, exchange banter and have fun with,” said another.

The bartender isn’t worried about getting infected any more than in other places. He’s just happy to be back in his daily routine. “The only positive thing about it was that I cleaned up the entire apartment. All the drawers, closets, papers. . . . You had to make use of the time, otherwise it would have been fucking boring to stay home.”

Sanitized camaraderie

The local hangout might not look quite the same. The tables are farther apart. Bottles of hand sanitizer stand on all of them. There are no stools by the bar. Some bars have set up plexiglas barriers that people have become familiar with at supermarkets and kiosks. The owners set a limit on the number of patrons so that there are at least two square meters per person, but they don’t want to have to monitor whether they all keep one meter away from one another. People ask about the rules. “If you bring a dog, does it count toward the limit of ten in a group?” 

The police were checking (DK) that the establishments followed the guidelines on limiting the number of guests and positioning the tables. They needed to clarify the rules in only a few cases, and they didn’t issue any fines. They believe people have a good understanding of social distancing principles by now. The turnout yesterday might also have been limited because the weather wasn’t favorable for sitting outdoors and some people decided to wait before dining out again.

Many small businesses were able to survive because they received aid from the government to cover employees’ wages and operating expenses. But it will still be a struggle for venues that depend on foreign tourists, meetings, conferences and other large events. Restaurants may not stay open after midnight.

Middle schools and libraries

Pupils in the upper grades also returned to school (DK), including boarding schools where many kids spend ninth or tenth grade. They were happy to see their friends again, but it felt strange not to be able to hug them. They were divided into groups of eight that they can come close to and must keep clear of the others, even boyfriends and girlfriends. Other people were happy to be able to visit their neighborhood library branch again. “I didn’t know what to read,” said one visitor. “I read all the murder mysteries and other things. I picked up old books again.” In this stage of the lockdown exit, libraries are open only for picking up and returning books; people can’t sit in the reading rooms yet. But they’re getting a reminder of life B.C.: Before Coronavirus.