Polar Nights are caused by the rotation of the Earth in relation to the position of the Sun. Earth rotates on a tilted axis and in the winter, north of the Arctic Circle is tilted away from the sun whilst in the south the Antarctic Circle is tilted towards the sun and is bathed in 24h sunlight.
Is it completely dark?
During Polar Nights it's not entirely dark; there is still light for a few hours each day, but it's not direct sunlight, so it's not considered daylight. Instead, it's more like twilight, with a lovely blue hue. In Levi, Polar Nights last for over 2 weeks from mid-December but the more north you go, the longer Polar Nights last. The great news is that the breathtaking colors of the Polar Nights sky begin well before and extend far beyond the two-week period when the sun remains below the horizon. Follow us on Instagram (@levifoxfires) to see videos from this magic time.
Last sunset of the year
On the day that you can see the last sunset, before the sun will stay below the horizon for two weeks, tourists say good bye to the sun, taking photos and videos and wandering if tomorrow will be completely dark during the day. We also go out and look at the sun for the last time of the year. In our Lapland guide we share with you our favourite spots to watch sunsets in Levi.
First sunrise of the year
After a few weeks, the joy of the returning sun is everywhere, especially in us locals, we were really waiting for the sun to return. It's such a happy day when you feel the sun’s warmth on our faces again.
So how does a day look like during Polar Nights?
The daylight hours are quite short, lasting about 3-5 hours in Levi. When the sky is completely overcast, everything appears blue or grey as in the picture on the right, lacking other colours in the outside world. However if some sky is visible or there are no clouds at all, Lapland transforms into a place from a happy cartoon or as Paul likes to say, similar to Katy Perry “California Gurls” music video. The sky turns into a mix of candy pink and blue, looking unreal and it's breathtaking. It's hard to believe that we actually live in this enchanting, surreal place. Check highlighted stories called "Polar Nights" on our Instagram page (@levifoxfires), where we show you how a day looks like in this magical time (there is a little surprise too).
You might be surprised that the darkness doesn't disturb winter activities. We explain all about this in our Lapland ebook. We also share there some of our favourite places to watch winter sunrise and sunset in Levi.
For more detailed information refer to our comprehensive Lapland guide.
Our extensive local knowledge and years of experience are poured into the pages to help you save time and reduce stress whilst planning your trip. This is the most comprehensive Lapland guide that is written by locals and includes all the information that you need for your Lapland trip.
Happy reading
Aggie, Paul & Gooseberry
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