Daylight and Darkness in N. Europe

How much daylight and darkness to expect on your trip to Norway, Sweden, Demark, Finland, and Iceland, all year round.

The number one thing most people from the US and southern Europe say, when they find out I’m living in Helsinki, Finland, is “wow, is it really dark there?” I normally respond that it really depends upon the time of year.

In November, December, and early January, Helsinki has as little as 6 hours of daylight. But, we don’t have high noon sunlight. The sun hovers above the horizon, like it is 10:00 in the morning all day. Then, around 3:15pm, the sun dips below the horizon and night falls until 9:15am, when the sun barely makes its way above the horizon again.

November and December are often filled with cloudy, grey days. That is, until it snows. The ground is covered by a powdery white blanket, giving your eyes and the world around you the feeling of more light. Natural rhythms seem to slow down a bit but people try to not let the darkness limit their activities. Christmas celebrations are quite festive, probably to make up for the lack of sunlight. Most Scandinavian and Finnish cities have excellent street lights. Even cross country skiing trails are lit. Many people have full UV spectrum “happy lights” in their homes or offices.

In contrast, June and July bring eighteen hours of daylight. Night never really comes. The sun rises at 3:30am and sets around 11:30pm. Nighttime is a soft, steel blue dusk. June 21, the longest day of the year, is a huge party in the Nordic countries, with people heading to their summer cottages to build bonfires, drink beer, and enjoy nature. Thick light blocking curtains are essential to get any sleep. Last summer, the natural rhythms of my body fell in tune with the natural rhythms of the sun. I found myself staying up until one in the morning all summer.

The changes in light become more pronounced as you travel north. The Arctic Circle has twenty four hours of nighttime in the winter and a two month long day in the summer. “Normal” light, or 8-11 hours of daylight, returns to the region from February through October.

Traveling during the depths of winter and the peak of summer in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland lets visitors experience the extremes that are so prevalent in this region.