Finland, the happiest country in the world, is offering a free 'masterclass of happiness'

flag of Finland — (Image credit: Kutay Tanir/Getty Images)

Finland, which just cinched the top spot on the World Happiness Report for the sixth year in a row, is now looking to spread that joy to ten people from around the world. The country is hosting a four-day happiness masterclass this summer for free for ten lucky applicants. "Others will be able to study (and hopefully cheer) up virtually when it later becomes available online," NPR says.

The World Happiness Report ranks happiness and well-being in countries using six factors: "social support, income, health, freedom, generosity and absence of corruption," NPR explains. "We believe Finnish happiness stems from a close relationship with nature and our down-to-earth lifestyle," Heli Jimenez, senior director of international marketing at Business Finland, said in a statement: "It's not some mystical state, but a skill that can be learned and shared."

Another factor in Finland's high score is the Finnish concept of 'sisu,' CEO of the customer feedback company HappyOrNot Miika Makitalo told CNBC, which is "an amalgamation of perseverance, resilience, and keeping problems in perspective." Makitalo explained that the word has no English equivalent but involves pushing personal boundaries and meeting seemingly hopeless challenges head-on. "Sisu defines our national character and is as recognizable and accepted a concept to Finns as the 'American Dream' might be to residents of the USA," he said.

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Applications for the "Masterclass of Happiness" are open until Apr. 2. To apply for one of the ten spots, interested parties must submit an online form and complete a social media challenge on either Instagram or TikTok showing "what things make you believe you may be secretly a Finn," and explaining why the country should choose you for the masterclass. The course will run from Jun. 12-15 at the Kuru Resort, a luxury resort in the Finnish Lakeland region.

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Theara Coleman has worked as a staff writer at The Week since September 2022. She frequently writes about technology, education, literature and general news. She was previously a contributing writer and assistant editor at Honeysuckle Magazine, where she covered racial politics and cannabis industry news.