Photo: Vlad Teodor/Shutterstock

IKEA Is Sending One Person to Copenhagen to Learn About Danish Happiness

News
by Nickolaus Hines Jun 13, 2019

Denmark regularly tops lists of the happiest countries in the world. IKEA believes some of that Danish happiness comes from the home, and they’re sending one person to Copenhagen for two weeks in September to test that theory out.

One person will be set up with a typical local salary (and pay typical taxes on said salary), go on tours, hang with locals, and attend dinners — all on IKEA Denmark’s dime. In return, an IKEA camera crew will follow the person around to capture footage that’ll eventually be turned into a mini-documentary on Danish happiness. The winner will get the true hygge experience, something that greatly contributed to nine out of 10 Danes listing peace and happiness when they think about their homes in an IKEA-backed “Life at Home” study.

“We wondered whether happiness arises from the Danes’ authentic life at home,” Lene Gaarde, country communication manager at IKEA Denmark, told Huffington Post. “But it’s difficult for us to figure out since we, as Danes, are naturally blind to certain elements that characterize everyday life in Danish homes. That’s why we’re inviting our competition winner to Denmark to help us discover the key to the Danes’ happiness in their homes.”

Weird happiness flex aside, people really are curious about just what makes the people in the land of hygge so happy in their homes. Apply online by July 1, and when you’re working on your application for two weeks of Danish-level happiness, keep in mind the following criteria of a potential winning candidate: curious (“perhaps even born with a magnifying glass in your hand”), love to travel and meet new people and cultures, at least 18 years old, happy in front of a camera, and someone who has always wanted to find the secret to happiness.

Discover Matador