This post reminded me of of the lamp section in "The Little Book of Hygge" which I borrowed from the library last year; I couldn't remember the quotes and so had to get the book back from the library just now. It's not just candles the Danes are crazy about, it's good lighting too, which is basically a cultural imperative. Here are some of the quotes:

"Lighting is not just about candles. Danes are obsessed by lighting in general. I once spent a two hours walking around Rome with my girlfriend at the time to find a restaurant that had hyggelig lighting.

"Danes select lamps carefully and place them strategically to create soothing pools of light. It is an art form, a science and an industry. Some of the most beautifully designed lamps in the world come from the golden age of Danish design... . Visit a student on a shoestring budget and you may still encounter a €1,000 Verner Panton lamp in the corner of her 32-square-meter flat."

The author goes on to say that "Usually, several smaller lamps around the room create a more hyggeligt light than one big lamp set in the ceiling. You want to create small caves of light around the room."

Also:

"The closest you will ever come to seeing vampires burnt by daylight is by inviting a group of Danes for a hygge dinner and then placing them under a 5,000 Kelvin fluorescent light tube. At first, they will squint, trying to examine the torture device you have placed in the ceiling. Then, as dinner begins, observe how they will move uncomfortably around in their chairs, compulsively scratching and trying to suppress twitches."

The book goes on to talk about the Danish architect and designer Poul Henningsen (1894-1967), who "was to light fixtures what Edison was to the light bulb" and who "devoted his career to exploring the importance of light for our well-being, aiming to develop a lamp that could spread light without subjecting people to a direct glare." Having grown up with petroleum lamps rather than electric light, these were his inspiration in the search for a soft light.

One of his quotes, from his work "On Light", which I thought would resonate with many here in this thread : ) ,

"It doesn't cost money to light a room correctly -- but it does require culture. From the age of 18, when I began to experiment with light, I have been searching for harmony in lighting. Human beings are like children. As soon as they get new toys, they throw away their culture and the orgy starts. The electric light gave the possibility of wallowing in light."