Coorie

Photo by June Andrei George on Unsplash

Hygge and Lagom were a ‘thing’ a wee while back. We all wanted to cozy down with the Scandinavian chic of conviviality and contentment.  It’s not really a word that’s translatable, yet it became something marketable, with the term attached to a variety of goods: blankets. slippers, hot water bottles and lots and lots of books.  There are rules and principles to Hygge, which presumably the Swedes are happy to embrace.  In Scotland perhaps, we’re more laid back.  Here we have he Scots word Coorie. The Scottish tourist board tried to hijack the Gaelic word Còsagach a number of years ago, but it didn’t really take off, possibly not a surprise when you consider that for Gaelic speakers the word has more affinity to wet moss than warm blankets!  Coorie, however, did have brief outing.  Although it has a variety of interpretations, ‘to snuggle’ is certainly one of them and it’s it’s been appropriated as a lifestyle trend very similar to Hygge. As the evenings draw in earlier and the weather turns colder (well, it was zero at the start of the week and was 17 degrees C today) coorieing down isn’t such a bad idea.

We can’t change the weather or the levels of light, but we can certainly embrace the outdoors and appreciate the simple pleasures of returning home to a comfy sofa, a warm house and perhaps a hot chocolate.  I like autumn for its warm light and frosty mornings, although am not such a fan of winter gales and rain.  I do, however, try and make the effort to get out in the fresh air, in nature, and walk as much as my conditions allow.  A stravaig is an aimless wander about and I often daunder about with no real purpose, other than being out in nature and getting some fresh air.  For me, it fits neatly into the whole Coorie vibe.

I’ve been swimming through the winter since 2019 and I can tell you, there’s nothing like getting cold to appreciate the benefits of getting warm!  I actually dislike the cold and will happily sit in temperatures of 25C quite comfortably (whilst my husband swelters) so I can’t really explain the joy of cold water swimming in winter.  Joy it is though!  There are less extreme things to do outdoors of course, but I do think venturing out is essential to corrieing doon. There are no rules to Coorie, but there is an art.  A day walking, climbing, open water swimming, photographing, cycling - whatever your activities of choice -  bookended with a comforting bowl of soup or stew, cosying up with your partner/friend/dog and relaxing in the warmth of your home. You can of course Coorie down elsewhere if you don’t live in Scotland, though I would recommend a winter visit here if you’ve only ever been in more temperate seasons.  You can guarantee snow sometime in December and January on the mountains, if not lower down, and there’s always something magical about wrapping up and getting out in the white stuff. You don’t need to be a child, just child-like. The anticipation of coming back to something warm and comforting is almost as good as the experience itself.

I don’t like the cold and I don’t like the dark evenings, but by embracing the idea of Coorie, I open myself to be more accepting and positive about what I can’t change.  Sure, I’ll look forward to spring, even yearn for it at some points, but I’m far more at home with the winter months, knowing I can be positive about curling up with a good book or a film, painting, making comforting food, going out to take photos in the winter light, walking and swimming.  Coorieing doon is not about hibernating and living under our duvets for 4 months of the year, it’s more about cultivating a positive mental attitude and finding ways to be comfortable with the change of seasons.  Certainly we will be home more and out less, we will perhaps go to bed earlier and get up later, but daylight and being in nature are important for our well-being whatever the season.

Find something you enjoy doing during the winter months.  Take up a new hobby, for example.  We started doing puzzles during the lockdown and now make sure we have half a dozen or so for those dreich days when not even the dog wants to go out!  Puzzling is an exclusively winter activity for me. The Highland Poetry Society meet on-line during the winter months - people from across the Highlands and Islands and beyond - and it’s a supportive, cosy, Coorie thing to do.

The new Coorie is about more than simply ‘cosiness’ it’s about being in tune with our surroundings and making the most of what we have.  A contentment which can be cultivated.  You can be in tune with your heritage, your culture, your surroundings.  It’s a very Scottish way to look at the world.

So join me in celebrating the darker, cooler days, particularly if they’re something you usually dread.  Get outside for a bit each day if you can, aside from work and then Corrie down with relish.  Grab your baffies (slippers) put a log on the fire, switch on the fairy lights, put some music on to play and enjoy a wee blether (natter) with a neighbour, a friend or partner, settle down with a puzzle, a book, the dog/cat - whatever you find engaging and comforting - get something warm to eat and drink.  Let’s Corrie doon.

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I’d be interested in your thoughts.  Do you hate winter?  What ways have you found to cope with the dark and cold?  Would you think about embracing the winter more positively with me this year? All ideas and comments welcome.