The rainy weather didn’t stop people from indulging in self-care during Millvale’s ninth annual Hygge New Year.
Hygge, a Danish word referring to the practice of taking time to relax and unwind, has been embraced by Millvale businesses over the years.
Hygge New Year events were scattered throughout the borough, with more than 30 participating practitioners and businesses leading sessions between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Jan. 10.
The event was completely walkable with all locations within two to three blocks of each other. Each host location had different practitioners, classes and vendors to shop. The majority of sessions were free. For the paid sessions, each practitioner scheduled and collected payment themselves, with costs ranging from $15 to $60.
Hygge New Year began in 2018 as a way to beat the internal dread of the snowy cold weather.
Danielle Spinola, owner of Abeille Voyante Tea Co., has been the lead organizer of the event since its inception. She said the day is meant to hold space for people to focus on self-care in an accessible way.
Each practitioner offered mini sessions around their specialty, giving attendees the chance to try multiple wellness offerings in one day, such as reiki, yoga, sound healing, acupuncture, psychic mediums, tarot, massage, facials and more.
Oak & Ivy, a wellness spa, set up in Millvale Community Library and provided mini facials.
“We’ve been coming to this event for three years now, and it’s gotten bigger and bigger. We’ve definitely put more into the marketing and services we offer here as the event has grown. Now, we’ve seen people come back and see us year after year and come out and see us at our McCandless location,” said Kyle Sgaggero, owner of Oak & Ivy.
The library also boasted tarot readings, massages, acupuncture and handmade jewelry for sale.
One of the workshops focused on chakras, while another showed visitors how to make bird feeders from chipped china.
In addition to the classes and workshops, vendors were selling items such as locally written books, earrings, candles, crystals and more.
“It is truly a wonderful event,” said Janet Zipf, owner of The Millvale House, which hosted five practitioners who offered everything from reiki to tarot to mediumship.
Zipf, a resident of Millvale for 50 years, sits on the Millvale Development Corporation.
“For me, this year, the people who are coming here are interested in what I do here. You know, the first couple years, there were a lot of people who just were milling around which is nice, you know, because that’s how you get your word out. But this year has definitely been very focused, narrowed. My people are all booked up, so it’s nice, and it’s because it’s been going for years now, they know more about what we do. A lot of people preregistered this year,” she said.
Crowds weaved in and out of the library and surrounding buildings all day, eager to recenter themselves or be pampered.
“This is a great day to help flip the narrative of ‘It’s too cold to go out.’ This is the perfect day to resettle yourself after the hectic holiday season,” Spinola said.