Candlelit Tea in Winter

The dark days through the heart of the winter can be a bit of a challenge, especially when you add almost constant rain. This year, I’ve responded to the challenge with candle light.

Here in Wales, I do find the dark winters long, and as we live in a very rainy climate, the days seem extra short. I find myself being thankful on December 22nd each year as I know on that day, the days are officially getting longer. But we don’t seem to notice or feel the lengthening for quite some time.

This year, I’ve taken to lighting candles; at breakfast, in the afternoon while having a cup of tea, and of course all evening long. We’re fortunate in our home that we have an open fire that we can also enjoy in the evenings. We also have fairy lights strung in a few places around the house. My favourite is the curtain rail in the dining room with ivy and fairy lights wound around it.

The Scandinavians who live so much further north than most of us have been lighting candles through the dark winter for ages. The Danes have a word for the atmosphere it creates; “hygge”. I have enjoyed the hygge that all of our candles and other lights have created and have not minded that darkness quite so much this winter.

As for the tea, that’s something we have constantly in this home. We have a tea light that we keep lit inside a cast iron tea warmer so that our large pot of tea always has hot tea ready to enjoy. Mind you, there are so many of us enjoying the tea, that even though our tea pot is large, we seem to need to make a fresh pot quite regularly.

Light the candles, sit down with a cup of tea and enjoy the hygge.