Being a Swede sometimes means that you’ll have to struggle with some sticky Swedish myths. In the staff blog we have already talked about the coldness, the blonds and the high suicidal rates. Today we have come to the myth about the darkness. It’s just that it’s not a myth – it’s true. I really wish it wasn’t.
This is the curse of a country situated far up North. In the summer you’ll have sweet bright summer nights where the sun never sets. At least in the Nordic parts it literally doesn’t. The back side is the winters where the sun practically never rises at all.
Taking a walk home in darkness after picking up my daughter at day care. A perfectly normal Swedish afternoon around 4 PM.
I just read (from an unconfirmed source) that more than a million Swedes get depressed during the dark season (and bare in mind that we are only about 9 million people). I am not surprised. So, what to do?
Here are a few tips that might help a little bit:
1.Watch a lovely little film called Anders & Harri: http://www.sweden.se/Watch/Documentaries/Anders-and-Harri/
2. Make some saffron buns (Lucia is just around the corner): http://www.sweden.se/eng/Home/Lifestyle/Food-drink/Swedish-culinary-classics/Saffransbullar-and-pepparkakor/
3. Discover some new great music: http://www.sweden.se/music
4. Take a walk while the sun is up.
Any one with more suggestions to help us out here are more than welcome to spread the word!
/Cecilia
