Hygge, Health, and Happiness

media release: On Wednesday, December 17, 2025, UW-Madison professor Claus Andersen will present “Hygge, Health, and Happiness” a Badger Talk event hosted by Mount Horeb’s Driftless Historium (100 S 2nd St) as part of their monthly Half-Hour History series. All are welcome at this free event; registration is not required.

What is hygge? And how does it relate to happiness and health? In this talk, Professor Andersen will introduce the concept of contentment and coziness, how it relates to the Scandinavian way of life, and what Americans can learn from it.

Professor Andersen is a native Dane who came to Wisconsin in August 2017. He has been teaching in the field of Scandinavian Studies for more than 15 years at places like the University of Minnesota, UCLA, the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Helsinki in Finland. He conducts research on Scandinavian culture, history, and literature. His current research focuses on the Norwegian writer Karl Ove Knausgaard and his six-volume autobiography, My Struggle. 

The University of Wisconsin–Madison Badger Talks program reflects the tradition of the Wisconsin Idea — to extend the resources of the University to citizens of the state. Learn more at badgertalks.wisc.edu. 

Half-Hour History is a monthly afternoon lecture series featuring engaging presentations on local and regional history. These free programs are open to all and take place at the Driftless Historium at 1:00 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month.

For more information on “Hygge, Health, and Happiness,“ call 608-437-6486 or email mthorebahs@gmail.com. Up next “Dating Historic Family Photographs,” presented by Arlo Paust on Wednesday, January 19, 2026.