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The Secret to Scandinavian Happiness
The Danish lifestyle of “Hygge” can change the way you live.
Welcome to Scandinavia, where the only mafia boss is a house music DJ and moose (meese?) roam the streets. Sweden ranks in at ninth happiest in the world, and its neighbors Denmark, Norway and Finland occupy the top three spots. What makes these countries so much happier than the rest of the world, when their dark and cold winter nights should contribute to the opposite? The answer is simple: Hygge.
The Danish word hygge is actually quite difficult to translate, because there is no direct English counterpart. The definition above gives a sense of the word’s meaning, but it’s something that can only be truly understood by feeling it.
Have you ever lit a nice candle and enjoyed a cup of coffee after work? That’s hygge.
Or perhaps the time you helped a coworker jump their car and they thanked you with a handwritten note.
Maybe it’s simply a hot bath during a blizzard.
You may think, “I’ve had these feelings before, so therefore I am already living a life of hygge! Why would I need this…
