Danes have short working weeks, low-income inequality, free healthcare, free education, 5 weeks of paid holiday per year, generous maternity leave allowance, and they retire with great financial security.
But high rank on these parameters is not the only reason Denmark is happier than most other developed countries, some of which score comparably on these indicators.
As per the Happiness Research InstituteAn independent think-tank headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark that focuses on well-being, happiness, and quality of life., all objective things being equal, there is still a secret recipe to happiness in Denmark and that recipe is Hygge (pronounced hue-geh).
Hygge is difficult to define but broadly translates to an atmosphere that causes coziness & intimacy, and draws pleasure from the presence of soothing things & people we love.
And there is a rough list of ingredients that create Hygge (the term first appeared in Danish writing in the early 1800s).
CozyLight: When asked about what they associated most with Hygge, 85% of Danes mentioned candles; Denmark burns more candles (6kg per person per year) than any other country in the world and only 4% say they never burn a candle.
Togetherness: Research suggests that the best predictor of whether we are happy or not is our social relationships.
78% of people in Denmark socialize with family, friends, or colleagues at least once a week; the European average is 60%.
Equality: At social gatherings, everyone takes part in chores, and not only the host; also, nobody takes centerstage or dominate the conversation for long.
Sweets: Sweets in Denmark are seen as ‘treating yourself’; it means giving yourself and each other a break from the demands of healthy living.
Denmark is the largest consumer of sweet confectionery (12.3 kg per person per year with chocolate included) in the world.
Friday night candy with the kids is such an ingrained concept that it has its own name: fredagsslik (Friday candy) and is ritually practiced in family homes nationwide.
Hot drinks: While 85% associated candles with Hygge in the research, 86% associated hot drinks; Danes are the world’s 4th biggest coffee drinkers in the world, and ‘cocoa by the light is the ultimate hyggeligt‘.
Homes (Hygge headquarters): The restaurants are considered expensive & over 70% of Danes prefer socializing at homes; 30% of homes have a fireplace or wood fire stoves, meeting the ‘Light’ criterion of Hygge.
Minimalism: Showing off expensive stuff is frowned upon; there’s an unwritten law in Danish culture called Janteloven that states: “don’t act like you’re better, smarter or richer than anyone else.”
Danes mostly dress casually, and scarves, for both men & women, are a must as they are seen as cozy.
While these are considered the ingredients for happiness, not all of them are healthy. High sugar intake, for example, is leading to an increasing number of diabetic and overweight cases. Candles cause fumes (found to be more dangerous than diesel exhaust fumes) and house fires.
