Defining Koselig (kush-lee) - From Norway to the Northwoods

With winters that stretch from November and into April, many (including those of us here) wonder how the spirit remains strong and motivated despite the cold. Well... we certainly stay busy. From work to community events to hockey and other family gatherings; from snowmobiling to skiing; and book clubs to town meetings. The short days are not quite long enough!

But our winters are about more than keeping busy. Because we don't just survive our winters, we enjoy them! In a recent article in Vogue of all places, there is the introduction and explanation of a Norweigan word the author suggests we don't really have a proper translation for: koselig (pronounced kush-lee), although she loosely translates it as "cozy."  She further goes on to explain the term as far richer than cozy: it is "an inner warmth; intimacy; a home-cooked meal; candlelight" and can be seen in hand-knit socks and sweaters awaiting guests' arrival, in bars that provide blankets and heated floors, and in gatherings featuring warming foods, radiant lighting, flowing wine, and strong coffee. She also quickly realized that what encompassed the term koselig did not define ways to cope with winter... but instead ways to embrace winter.

Recently, at Presque Isle's Winter Party, I ran into a handful of soon-to-retire couples with second homes in Presque Isle, excited about a move to year-round residency. When asked about the long winter, their eyes lit up. They, like the rest of us year-rounders, were ready to embrace winter and to be a part of defining a Northwoods way of koselig.

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Peggy Johnson Wiessner is a Broker/Associate (former owner) at 

Headwaters Real Estate in Presque Isle, Wisconsin.