First, there was the hygge (the Danish concept of finding coziness in any situation), then the Swedish philosophy of achieving balance in life known as lagom, and now, we have the Finnish to thank for our latest Scandinavian lifestyle doctrine: kalsarikänni.
So, what is it (and, um, how do you say it)? Commonly referred to by its more anglified word, “päntsdrunk,” the concept refers to drinking at home in your underwear (yep, we are so on board). Popularized (and, um, made up) by Finnish journalist Miska Rantanen in his new parody book Päntsdrunk (Kalsarikänni): The Finnish Path to Relaxation, the concept was created to help deal with the cold during the long Nordic winter nights (but, like, feel free to embrace the concept no matter what season…) and to also satirize the viral popularity of Scandinavian lifestyle trends like hygge and lagom.
And since Finland was just ranked the happiest country on earth by the World Happiness Report, we could all learn a thing or two about our own mental state just by stripping down to our knickers, uncorking that bottle of Cab and catching up on the latest Netflix true-crime docuseries.
How do you fully embrace kalsarikänni? Rantanen writes that one should “Place savory or sweet nibbles within reach, by bed or sofa, alongside remote control and devices to access social media. Open a bottle or can of alcoholic beverage.”
