COPENHAGEN - The International Day of Happiness has been celebrated on March 20 for 9 years: the UN has chosen precisely the spring equinox, symbolically the beginning of the flowering of life, to recognize and celebrate the well-being of people all over the world.
The pursuit of happiness for the United Nations General Assembly is a human right and a fundamental goal of humanity.
Talking about happiness in this period of health emergency is difficult but it is also necessary, in order not to lose hope and continue making plans for the future.
If happiness is unquestionably for everyone to defeat the virus, it is also to think of planning trips to places that make us feel good.
In this regard, a ranking of the happiest countries and cities in the world has been drawn up: like last year, Finland wins first place while for the third time Denmark comes in second place in the ranking, decided on the basis of some factors including GDP per capita, social support, life expectancy, employment rate, freedom, generosity and the absence of corruption, all indicators of well-being and happiness.
Two Danish cities, Aarhus and Copenhagen, are in the top 5 of the happiest towns in the world;
but what is the secret of Denmark?
According to the director of the Copenhagen Institute for Research on Happiness Meik Wiking "in the country there is the ability to separate personal well-being from economic well-being: in Denmark, happiness has no price, here the quality of life can still be high. level.
The degree of trust in others "continues the expert" and the perception of security of a people explains the greater or lesser happiness of one country over another.
Denmark is known for the high confidence of its inhabitants - for example, one of the things that amazes tourists the most is the habit of leaving children in the stroller outside the premises while having a coffee inside.
It seems to me that the recent pandemic has made the link between the degree of trust and that of well-being even more evident ».
The lifestyle, therefore, contributes to making the Danes a happy people, but urban planning is also important: interesting architectural and design attractions are present almost everywhere in the country, designed specifically for citizens.
Here are some examples: the Konditaget Lüders, bright red colored play areas with fitness equipment and trampolines available to anyone, stand on the rooftops overlooking the ocean in the new Nordhavn district of Copenhagen.
Artist Thomas Damboper created Troll Trails in the woods outside the city, inviting people to visit the lesser-known corners of Denmark.
In the city of Aarhus there is "The infinite bridge", a circular bridge that leads to nowhere: it is a place that allows you to enjoy the walk, to immerse yourself in the maritime landscape and to fill up on fresh air.
Also in Aarhus, on the roof of the ARoS modern art gallery, stands the installation by Olafur Eliasson "Your Rainbow Panorama": it is a path that offers a 360-degree view of the city and the wonderful sensation of walking inside a rainbow.
Finally, in Vejle there is the possibility of living inside a wave of happiness in the condominium "The Wave", which stands out with its wave-like profile on the banks of a fjord.
While waiting to travel to the happy country, we can bring some of that serenity to our daily life as well;
here are three ways to do it: embrace the all-Scandinavian philosophy of friluftsliv, outdoor life with walking, cycling and swimming;
assimilate the Danish concept of hygge which consists in finding happiness in the little things of every day;
and try to build trust in your community or neighborhood by volunteering and helping neighbors.
Even Finland, which ranks first among the happiest countries, teaches us that physical and spiritual well-being is closely linked to nature: from this bond of love and respect, the ritual of the sauna was born, a tradition of wellness and health accompanied with refreshing herbal infusions and spontaneous foods offered by nature.
For centuries, the sauna has accompanied the unique and healthy lifestyle of the Finns, which we too can imitate, albeit to a limited extent, with nature walks, massages and healthy food.
The Scandinavian countries, on the other hand, are all immersed in the most uncontaminated nature, and therefore have an advantage in the ranking of happiness;
According to the United Nations World Happiness Report, the World Happiness Report, Finland and Denmark are followed by Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, New Zealand, Austria and Luxembourg.
As for cities, on the other hand, the Finnish Helsinki is in first place, followed by the Danish Aarhus;
the others, in order of position, are Wellington in New Zealand, Zurich in Switzerland, Copenhagen in Denmark and the Norwegians Bergen and Oslo.
The bottom three cities in the top ten are Tel Aviv in Israel, Stockholm in Sweden and Brisbane in Australia.
It's Italy?
We have to go down to 30th place in the standings to find our country, preceded by Spain and followed by Singapore.
Out of curiosity, the last place is Afghanistan.
(HANDLE).