Scandinavia seems to have all the answers. Not only is Denmark the happiest country on Earth, according to U.N. rankings, but Norway is No. 2. And just as Denmark partly explains its joy with an untranslatable word — hygge — Norway cites an arcane, tongue-tying ethos of its own: friluftsliv.

Friluftsliv literally means "free air life" in Norwegian, but like hygge, its cultural connotations go far beyond any English approximation. Both words refer to uplifting ambience, but while hygge focuses on coziness and human relationships, friluftsliv dwells on our outdoor dynamic with nature.