7 reasons why Denmark is the happiest country in the world

Happiness expert Meik Wiking hails fromDenmark, the happiest country in the world. His newly-released book, "The Little Book of Hygge,"explores a word hebelieves is central to that happiness.As Wiking says,hygge (pronounced hoo-gah)has no direct translation: it means cosiness, it means intimacy, and it means warmthbut it means many more things than just these points.We looked at some of the components that make up ahyggeliglifestyle, as explored in "The Little Book of Hygge."For references in the piece,hyggeis a noun, hyggeligtis a singular adjective, and hyggelige is a plural adjective.7. Togetherness"In all the work I have done within the field of happiness research. This is the point I am surest about: the best predictor of whether we are happy or not is our social relationships," saidWiking in his book.Wiking citesthe journalist Cathy Strongman who moved from London to Copenhagen, and wrote in the Guardian: "Work later than 5.30 and the office is a morgue. Work at the weekend and the Danes think you are mad. The idea is that families have time to play and eat together at the end of the day, every day."6. Food and drink"Sweets are hygglige. Cake is hyggeligt. Coffee or hot chocolate are hyggeligt, too. Carrot sticks, not so much," says Wiking.He believes that the high level of meat, confectionary and coffee consumption in Denmark is directly linked to hygge."Hygge is about being kind to yourselfgiving yourself a treat, and giving yourself, and each other, a break from the demands of healthy living," he says.Wiking's compatriots seem to agree: the average Dane eats three kilos of bacon a year.5. The homeThe home is "hyggeheadquarters," Wiking says. They even have a word for it:hjemmehygge (home hygge). This may explain the Danish obsession with good design.They also have the most living space per capita in Europe.See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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