{"id":2817,"date":"2021-11-30T18:47:59","date_gmt":"2021-11-30T18:47:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/norwegian\/?p=2817"},"modified":"2021-11-30T18:47:59","modified_gmt":"2021-11-30T18:47:59","slug":"surviving-the-sunless-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/norwegian\/surviving-the-sunless-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Surviving the Sunless Season"},"content":{"rendered":"
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(Photo courtesy of Noel Bauza<\/a> from Pixabay<\/a>; no copyright.)<\/p><\/div>\n

North of the Arctic Circle, there\u2019s no sunrise in the winter sky. But do Northern Norwegians really live in total darkness? I asked Bj\u00f8rn Farbu \u2013 a doctor until recently residing in Harstad1<\/a><\/sup>He currently lives in Trondheim with his family. <\/span> \u2013 about life in m\u00f8rketida <\/strong>(the dark season). <\/em><\/p>\n

What brought you to Nord-Norge (Northern Norway)?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My girlfriend is from Troms\u00f8. We met in Trondheim and lived there for several years before moving to Harstad, a small town south of Troms\u00f8. I already had an appreciation for fjellene og naturen i Nord-Norge<\/strong> (the mountains and the nature). Furthermore, the inhabitants are veldig \u00e5pne, im\u00f8tekommende og fine folk<\/strong> (very open, kind and fine people). We had to go somewhere for our medical internship2<\/a><\/sup>in order to become licensed doctors<\/span>, and Northern Norway was an easy choice.<\/p>\n

When does m\u00f8rketida<\/em> start and end?<\/strong><\/p>\n

M\u00f8rketida<\/strong> starts December 2nd<\/span> and ends on January 10th.<\/p>\n

How was your first encounter with m\u00f8rketida<\/em>?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first surprise was that it wasn\u2019t entirely dark. M\u00f8rketida<\/strong> only means that sola er under horisonten<\/strong> (the sun is below the horizon). This means that here may be some dagslys<\/strong> (daylight) at noon. If you\u2019re p\u00e5 jobb<\/strong> (at work) around then, forskjellen mellom S\u00f8r-Norge og Nord-Norge<\/strong> (the difference between Southern and Northern Norway) isn\u2019t that large. Det er m\u00f8rkt <\/strong>(it\u2019s dark) both when you go to work and when you leave. But during the darkest period in Troms\u00f8, it never gets brighter than skumring<\/strong> (dusk or twilight) at noon. One is struck by alt det fantastiske lyset<\/strong> (all the fantastic light)! P\u00e5 morgenen er det r\u00f8dtoner og oransje som dominerer, mens midt p\u00e5 dagen kan det v\u00e6re et krystallklart bl\u00e5tt lys. <\/strong>(Mornings are dominated by hues of red and orange, while the light may be a crystal clear blue at noon.)<\/p>\n

How do people cope without sunlight for so long \u2013 don\u2019t they get depressed?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nordlendinger<\/strong> (\u201dNortherners\u201d) are very good at accepting that you\u2019re tr\u00f8tt og vil ligge p\u00e5 sofaen <\/strong>(tired and want to lie on the couch) in December. Og energien kommer tilbake mange ganger med sola, ikke minst n\u00e5r det er midnattssol.<\/strong> (And the energy will return many times with the sun, especially during Midnight Sun.) \u2026 I don\u2019t think nordlendinger<\/strong> are moodier at all during winter than folk fra s\u00f8r<\/strong> (people from the south [of Norway]).<\/p>\n

How does it feel when the sun finally returns?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a very good feeling, et godt pust med klar frisk luft<\/strong> (a good breath of clear fresh air), and an expectation of alt det fine som kommer<\/strong> (all the nice things to come).<\/p>\n

Any special experience with m\u00f8rketida you\u2019d like to share?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Last jul<\/strong> (Christmas) I celebrated with my svigerfamilie<\/strong> (in-laws) in Troms\u00f8. A friend convinced me to join in for a joggetur<\/strong> (jog) of 2<\/strong> mil<\/strong> [meel] (20 km) \u2013 in the middle of the night! It was calm, minus 10 degrees3<\/a><\/sup>of Celsius<\/span>, and clear weather. We did bring a hodelykt <\/strong>(headlight), but m\u00e5nen og nordlyset<\/strong> (the moon and the northern lights) eliminated any need for kunstig lys<\/strong> (artificial light). En fantastisk tur!<\/strong><\/p>\n

What is your recommendation for tourists to Northern Norway \u2013 summer and midnight sun or winter and northern lights?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019d recommend turister<\/strong> to go both in summer and winter! Sommernatta med sol og yrende fugleliv<\/strong> (the summer night with its sun and bustling bird life), and you don\u2019t go to bed, is uforglemmelig <\/strong>(unforgettable). The contrast you\u2019ll get in January.<\/p>\n