IM Subscribe register IM Subscribe Login Created with Sketch. * IM Join us? Subscribe register IM Join us? Subscribe * Login * Please wait.... * * News + UK + US + World + UK Politics + Brexit + Final Say + Science + Environment + Health + Education + Tech + Business + InFact * Politics + Brexit + Conservatives + Labour + Lib Dems + SNP + DUP + US Politics + Theresa May + Jeremy Corbyn * Voices + Final Say + Drop The Target + Editorials + Shappi Khorsandi + Robert Fisk + Mark Steel + Chuka Umunna + Mary Dejevsky + Matthew Norman + John Rentoul * Final Say + Sign the petition * Sport + Football + Rugby union + Cricket + F1 + Boxing + Tennis + Cycling + Golf + Jonathan Liew + Miguel Delaney + Podcast * Culture + Film + Music + TV & radio + Books + Art + Photography + Theatre & dance + Geoffrey Macnab + Podcast + Crosswords & puzzles * Video * Indy/Life + Travel + Women + Fashion & beauty + Food & drink + Dating & relationships + Health & fitness + Tech + Money + Design & home + Motoring * IndyBest + Home & garden + Kids + Books + Travel & outdoors + Fashion & beauty + Food & drink + Tech + Sports & fitness * Long Reads * AIDSFREE * indy100 * Vouchers + TUI + Groupon + Argos + Mobiles.co.uk + Just Eat + Currys + Gymshark + Clarks + Myprotein + boohoo * Please wait.... * + UK Edition + US Edition Join us? Subscribe / register Join us? Subscribe * News + InFact + UK + US + World + Politics + Final Say + Science + Education + Environment + Health + Long reads + Business + Obituaries * Politics + Brexit + Conservatives + Labour + Lib Dems + SNP + DUP + Ukip + US Politics + Theresa May + Jeremy Corbyn * Voices + Robert Fisk + Mark Steel + Janet Street-Porter + John Rentoul + Jenny Éclair + Chuka Ummuna + Shappi Khorsandi + Editorials + Letters * Final Say + Gina Miller + Our view + Sign the petition + Spread the word + Steve Coogan * Sport + Football + Rugby Union + Cricket + Tennis + Golf + Motor racing + Cycling + US sports + Rugby League * Culture + Books + Film + TV + Music + Art + Theatre & dance + Geoffrey Macnab + Podcast * Indy/life + Travel + Fashion & beauty + Food & drink + Health & fitness + Love & relationships + Tech o iPhone o Tech news o Tech culture o Gaming o Cryptocurrency + Design & home + Motoring + Women * Video + News videos + Explainer videos + Sport videos + People + culture videos * IndyBest + Sports & Fitness + Home & Garden + Kids + Books + Fashion & Beauty + Food & Drink + Travel & Outdoors + Tech * Money + Mortgages + Loans + Savings + Pensions + Money transfers + Health insurance + Money Deals * indy100 * Extras + Corrections + Competitions & offers + Puzzles + Crosswords + Apps + The Independent Books + Jobs + Voucher Codes * Subscribe + Subscription offers + Subscription sign in + Read latest edition * UK Edition + UK Edition + US Edition Please wait.... Log in using your social network account OR Log in directly with The Independent {{message}} ____________________ Please enter an email address Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address ____________________ Please enter a valid password [ ] Keep me logged in (BUTTON) Submit Forgotten your password? Try Independent Minds free for 14 days See the options Hi {{fullName}} * My Independent Minds * Account details * Help centre * Logout News > World > Europe 7 reasons Denmark is the happiest country in the world * Thomas Colson , * Business Insider * Monday 26 September 2016 15:49 * * {{^moreThanTen}} {{total}} comments {{/moreThanTen}} Click to follow The Independent Happiness expert Meik Wiking hails from Denmark, the happiest country in the world. His newly released book, “The Little Book of Hygge,” explores a word he believes 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 warmth — but it means many more things than just these points. We looked at some of the components that make up a Danish lifestyle, as explored in “The Little Book of Hygge.” Join Independent Minds For exclusive articles, events and an advertising-free read for just £5.99 €6.99 $9.99 a month (BUTTON) Start your free trial Get the best of The Independent With an Independent Minds subscription for just £5.99 €6.99 $9.99 a month (BUTTON) Start your free trial Get the best of The Independent Without the ads – for just £5.99 €6.99 $9.99 a month (BUTTON) Start your free trial For references in the piece, hygge is a noun, hyggeligt is 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,” Wiking says in his book. Wiking cites the journalist Cathy Strongman, who moved from London to Copenhagen and who 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 hyggelige. Cake is hyggeligt. Coffee or hot chocolate are hyggeligt, too. Carrot sticks, not so much,” Wiking says. 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 yourself — giving 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 3 kilos of bacon a year. 5. The home Pictured here: Queen Margrethe (3rd L), Prince Henrik (5th L), Crown Prince Frederik (L) and Crown Princess Mary (6th R) and their children, Prince Christian (4th L), Princess Isabella (2nd L), Prince Vincent (6th L) and Princess Josephine (5th R). Also pictured: Princess Alexandra (4th R) of Berleburg and Count Jefferson (3rd R) with their children Countess Ingrid (Reuters) The home is “hygge headquarters,” 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. 4. Christmas Christmas, Wiking says, is the most hyggelig part of the year. “Even though it is possible to hygge all year round, only once a year is hygge the ultimate goal of an entire month,” he says. Christmas traditions in Denmark are not wildly different from those in the UK or the US, but the difference is that “a Danish Christmas will always be planned, thought of, and evaluated in relation to the concept of hygge.” There is even a word for it — julehygge (Christmas-hygge). 3. Lighting From its iconic lampshades to the staggeringly widespread use of candles, Denmark is a country obsessed with lighting. The Happiness Research Institute's studies shows that 85% of people associate hygge with candles; 28% of Danes light candles every day. Wiking quotes the American ambassador to Denmark, who says candles create “a kind of emotional happiness, an emotional cosiness.” 2. Copenhagen: The happiest city in the world People fight with pillows during World Pillow Fight Day in front of the City Hall in Copenhagen, Denmark () Appropriately enough, the happiest country in the world has the happiest capital city in the world. And it is full of hygglelig destinations — from restaurants selling pickled herring in the New Harbour to the iconic Tivoli Gardens, which is transformed every Christmas into a spectacular festival of light. 1. The welfare model While hygge clearly plays a major part in Denmark's happiness, Wiking is keen to emphasise that the welfare model is what fundamentally underpins the nation's well-being — they have high taxes but receive social security, universal healthcare, and a universal pension in return. Wiking says there is “wide support for the welfare state.” “The support stems from an awareness of the fact that the welfare model turns our collective wealth into well-being,” he says. Critics often point out that antidepressant consumption is very high in Denmark for a country that claims to be the happiest in the world. According to the OECD, Denmark ranks second in Europe for antidepressant consumption per capita. Wiking told Business Insider in an interview, however, that this supposed “paradox” was nothing of the sort. “The real story is, these countries recognise mental illness and try to treat it in some way,” Wiking told Business Insider. “Being a society that acknowledges that people suffer from mental illnesses, and that we should try and do something about them? I think that's a good thing. A lot of people miss that — they just think it's a paradox.” Read more: • This chart is easy to interpret: It says we're screwed • How Uber became the world's most valuable startup • These 4 things could trigger the next crisis in Europe Read the original article on Business Insider UK. © 2016. Follow Business Insider UK on Twitter. More about Denmark Happiness Life Reuse content Independent News email Only the best news in your inbox Independent News email Only the best news in your inbox ____________________ Enter your email address (BUTTON) Continue (BUTTON) Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid Email cannot be used. Try another Register with your social account or click here to log in receiveIndyHeadlines [ ] I would like to receive morning headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts by email Update newsletter preferences Comments Share your thoughts and debate the big issues Learn more (BUTTON) {{value_p}} Independent Minds comments (BUTTON) {{value}} open comments Open Comments Join the discussion (BUTTON) Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. * You may not agree with our views, or other users’, but please respond to them respectfully * Swearing, personal abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia and other discriminatory or inciteful language is not acceptable * Do not impersonate other users or reveal private information about third parties * We reserve the right to delete inappropriate posts and ban offending users without notification You can find our Community Guidelines in full here. {{^nickname}} Create a commenting name to join the debate ____________________ (BUTTON) Submit Please try again, the name must be unique {{/nickname}} {{^nickname}} ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ {{/nickname}} {{#nickname}} ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ {{/nickname}} {{^nickname}} (BUTTON) Post {{/nickname}} {{#nickname}} (BUTTON) Post {{/nickname}} (BUTTON) Posting... * Newest first * Oldest first * Most liked * Least liked Loading comments... {{^comments}} There are no comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts {{/comments}} {{#comments}} {{sender.name}} {{dateTime}} {{{commentText}}} Reply {{#sender.isSelf}} Delete {{/sender.isSelf}} {{posVotes}} {{negVotes}} {{#replies}} {{sender.name}} {{dateTime}} {{{commentText}}} Reply {{#sender.isSelf}} Delete {{/sender.isSelf}} {{posVotes}} {{negVotes}} {{#replies}} {{sender.name}} {{dateTime}} {{{commentText}}} {{#sender.isSelf}} Delete {{/sender.isSelf}} {{posVotes}} {{negVotes}} {{/replies}} {{/replies}} {{/comments}} {{#showMore}} (BUTTON) Load all comments {{/showMore}} Minds Comments Join the discussion (BUTTON) Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Community Guidelines * You may not agree with our views, or other users’, but please respond to them respectfully * Swearing, personal abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia and other discriminatory or inciteful language is not acceptable * Do not impersonate other users or reveal private information about third parties * We reserve the right to delete inappropriate posts and ban offending users without notification You can find our Community Guidelines in full here. {{^nickname}} Create a commenting name to join the debate ____________________ (BUTTON) Submit Please try again, the name must be unique {{/nickname}} {{^nickname}} ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ {{/nickname}} {{#nickname}} ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ {{/nickname}} {{^nickname}} (BUTTON) Post {{/nickname}} {{#nickname}} (BUTTON) Post {{/nickname}} (BUTTON) Posting... * Newest first * Oldest first * Most liked * Least liked Loading comments... {{^comments}} There are no Independent Minds comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts {{/comments}} {{#comments}} {{sender.name}} {{dateTime}} {{{commentText}}} Reply {{#sender.isSelf}} Delete {{/sender.isSelf}} {{posVotes}} {{negVotes}} {{#replies}} {{sender.name}} {{dateTime}} {{{commentText}}} Reply {{#sender.isSelf}} Delete {{/sender.isSelf}} {{posVotes}} {{negVotes}} {{#replies}} {{sender.name}} {{dateTime}} {{{commentText}}} {{#sender.isSelf}} Delete {{/sender.isSelf}} {{posVotes}} {{negVotes}} {{/replies}} {{/replies}} {{/comments}} {{#showMore_p}} (BUTTON) Load all comments {{/showMore}} (BUTTON) Follow comments Enter your email to follow new comments on this article. ____________________ (BUTTON) Subscribe Thanks for subscribing! {{errorMessage}} (BUTTON) Vote Are you sure you want to submit this vote? (BUTTON) Submit vote (BUTTON) Cancel You must be logged in to vote. (BUTTON) Report Comment Are you sure you want to mark this comment as inappropriate? (BUTTON) Flag comment (BUTTON) Cancel This comment has been flagged. This comment has been flagged. (BUTTON) Subscribe to Independent Minds to debate the big issues Want to discuss real-world problems, be involved in the most engaging discussions and hear from the journalists? Try Independent Minds free for 14 days. (BUTTON) Try for free Already registered? Log in (BUTTON) Report Comment Are you sure you want to mark this comment as inappropriate? (BUTTON) Flag comment (BUTTON) Cancel This comment has been flagged. This comment has been flagged. (BUTTON) Delete Comment Are you sure you want to delete this comment? (BUTTON) Delete comment (BUTTON) Cancel Deleting comment... This comment has been deleted. This comment has been deleted. (BUTTON) Register to The Independent to comment Anyone can post in open comments. Please continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates. (BUTTON) Register Already registered? Log in Reply (BUTTON) ... {{^nickname}} Create a commenting name to join the debate ____________________ (BUTTON) Submit Please try again, the name must be unique {{/nickname}} {{^nickname}} ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ {{/nickname}} {{#nickname}} ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ {{/nickname}} {{^nickname}} (BUTTON) Post {{/nickname}} {{#nickname}} (BUTTON) Post {{/nickname}} (BUTTON) Cancel Comment posted! {{errorMessage}} Posting comment... (BUTTON) Subscribe to Independent Minds to debate the big issues Want to discuss real-world problems, be involved in the most engaging discussions and hear from the journalists? Try Independent Minds free for 14 days. (BUTTON) Try for free Already registered? Log in Reply (BUTTON) ... {{^nickname}} Create a commenting name to join the debate ____________________ (BUTTON) Submit Please try again, the name must be unique {{/nickname}} {{^nickname}} ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ {{/nickname}} {{#nickname}} ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ {{/nickname}} {{^nickname}} (BUTTON) Post {{/nickname}} {{#nickname}} (BUTTON) Post {{/nickname}} (BUTTON) Cancel Comment posted! {{errorMessage}} Posting comment... (BUTTON) About The Independent commenting Independent Minds Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Minds. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. Our journalists will try to respond by joining the threads when they can to create a true meeting of independent minds. The most insightful comments on all subjects will be published daily in dedicated articles. You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies to your comment. The existing Open Comments threads will continue to exist for those who do not subscribe to Independent Minds. Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each post the same level of attention, but we have preserved this area in the interests of open debate. Please continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates. (BUTTON) Try for free Already registered? Log in {{shortHeadline}} Most popular {{title}} Sponsored features {{title}} Popular videos {{title}} (BUTTON) Subscribe to Independent Minds to bookmark this article Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Try Independent Minds free for 14 days to access this feature. (BUTTON) Try for free Already registered? Log in Article bookmarked Find your bookmarks in your Independent Minds section, under my profile [ ] Don't show me this message again * Get in touch + Contact us + Jobs + Created with Sketch. Created with Sketch. * Our products + Subscriptions + Install our apps + Archive * Other publications + Evening Standard + Novaya Gazeta * Extras + All topics + Voucher codes + Advertising guide + Syndication * Legal + Code of conduct and complaints + Contributors + Cookie policy + Privacy notice + User policies (BUTTON) Created with Sketch. 7 reasons Denmark is the happiest country in the world 1/4 2/4 AFP/Getty Images 3/4 Pictured here: Queen Margrethe, Prince Henrik, Crown Prince Frederikand Crown Princess Maryand their children, Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, Prince Vincentand Princess Josephine. Also pictured: Princess Alexandraof Berleburg and Count Jeffersonwith their children Countess Ingrid Reuters 4/4 People fight with pillows during World Pillow Fight Day in front of the City Hall in Copenhagen, Denmark