By: Katherine Waters, Staff Writer
The World Happiness Report, which studies and rates 156 nations on the levels of their population’s overall happiness, recently published their 2016 list. It looks at factors such as life expectancy, GDP per capita and trust in government to measure the happiness of each country.
After falling to third place in last year’s report, Denmark is back to its number one ranking, just above Switzerland and Iceland and 13 spots above the United States. While Denmark isn’t the obvious choice to most people, studying abroad here has allowed me to see a few reasons why the Danes are so pleased with their country.
Hygge. Hygge (pronounced “hooga”) is a word that is mentioned over and over again to all students studying in Denmark. It is entirely Danish with no English translation, but many compare it to a “nice” or “cozy” feeling. In a country with cold weather and limited sunshine, many Danes feel the need to combat the darkness with candles, blankets (even at the dinner table) and the company of friends and family. Staying indoors is almost mandatory when temperatures are well below freezing, so it makes sense that Danes would embrace a cozy, warm atmosphere.
Sunshine. When the semester began in January, the sun didn’t rise until 8:30 and set at 4:00. Now that Daylight Savings Time has ended, the days are about four hours longer and will get even longer as the temperature heats up. It is clear that Danes take full advantage of whatever sun they can get. Even though an American (at least one from the South, AKA me) would deem it still too cold to spend much time outdoors, Copenhagen residents spend their days at local parks or sitting along the edges of the Nyhavn canal. Apartment windows are thrown open and most people shed their hats and gloves (although coats and scarves are still common). Copenhagen transforms into a more active and social city whenever the sun comes out.
They trust each other. Denmark is known for being extremely homogeneous. The stereotype of all Danes being tall and blond isn’t entirely wrong because the vast majority of the population is ethnically Danish (although that number is slowly decreasing due to the European refugee crisis). The sense of community is widespread throughout the nation, and is possibly the reason why Danes are so trusting of each other. It is very common to see a baby sitting alone in a carriage outside of a grocery store or restaurant while the parents are inside, and one of my American friends was shocked when she didn’t have the cash to pay at a restaurant and the owner told her that she could pay the next time she came to eat.
Denmark may not have tropical beaches or lots of sunshine, as one would expect the world’s happiest country to have, but the Danes seem to be content with whatever reputation they may have. In fact, many researchers have found that contentedness and lowered expectations are exactly the reason why Denmark is so joyful.
It’s difficult to comprehend that the semester is coming to an end, and in a few short weeks I will no longer be living in Denmark, but I’m thankful that I could spend a few months learning how to be happy from the Danes.
