Midnight sun in Northern Norway

You’ve no doubt seen that globes are slightly tilted on their axes. This is because the Earth itself is slightly tilted on its axis. When the northern hemisphere is turned towards the sun and we have summer, the light comes from the side of the planet that is in daylight and over into the night side up here at the top of the planet, simply put. Wikipedia says it more in detail.

The Midnight Sun lasts all night long

The Midnight Sun is a natural phenomenon in which the sun is above the horizon at midnight. And the rest of the night. And all day long. At Nordkapp (North Cape) the sun stays shining in the sky for over 1,800 hours without setting. We’re talking about weeks and months of life-giving, warming and wonderful light. Visitors to the far north may have had it explained to them, but don’t believe it until they see it.

OK, let’s admit it: it’s the same sun. Far up inside the Arctic Circle, in Longyearbyen on Svalbard, midnight can be like noon on a midsummer day, while at Nordkapp (North Cape) the light is suggestive of early evening, with warm, golden tones over the sea. Further south, though, where the sun peeks between the mountain tops and is only just above the horizon at midnight, the more reddish tones appear that one often sees on postcards. Try to see the Midnight Sun every evening when you’re travelling northwards; it’s a different experience every time.

The midnight sun makes us happy but mad

The people of Northern Norway go a little bit mad with all the light, in the best sense of the word. It’s perfectly normal to mow the lawn or throw a coffee party at midnight, or to suddenly decide to walk up the nearest mountain to see the sun from the top. Children’s bedtimes are suddenly not that important. They say that the fish bite best at night, but that’s possibly just an excuse for staying up late. A large number of festivals are held in Northern Norway in the summer, all of them with programs lasting up to midnight and beyond, as nobody’s going to go to bed anyway.

How do you sleep with so much light?

The locals sleep well, as they’ve had a long period to get used to the long hours of daylight as the spring progresses. We do however sleep less, because the light makes us energetic and lively, and elevates our mood, so the body needs less sleep. Visitors and newcomers may experience problems with sleeping for the first few days. The better hotels usually have thick, dark curtains to keep the light out, while simple fishermen’s cabins often have only light, summery window coverings. If you’re a light sleeper, you may want to take with you one of those little sleep masks that the airlines give out, or go for a stroll in the magical white night. In general, we don’t find it a problem; both tourists and locals are in good form and in good humour in summer-time.

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