Where did the day go?

 The clocks have been turned back one hour some time ago, but my body is still on the "Old Standard Time".

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Just like income tax, daylight saving time was originally introduced as a temporary measure during the First World War. In 1915, Imperial Germany began expirimenting with the clocks  in order to better fit the working day within available daylight hours — and possibly save some energy that would then be used to light factories at night. Britain noticed and its empire quickly followed suit.

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As days become shorter and temperatures drop, thoughts of winter creep into our minds. But when does winter really begin? Mother Nature cares little about the clock. Only the calendar and lack of sunshiny days.
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 A barely noticeable event called the Winter Solstice was noted in Wisconsin, USA Wednesday, December 21, 2015 at 4:44 AM Central Standard Time. While no one celebrated or even cared, these annual winter solstices supposedly mark the first day of winter. However, the official date for the first day of winter varies depending on  climate, and location.This ‘Solstice’ is the shortest day of the year in our Northern Hemisphere. From that day on, nights become longer!

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The term ‘solstice’ comes from the Latin word solstitium, meaning 'the Sun stands still'. The sun seems to stand still at the Tropic of Capricorn and then reverses it's direction. It's also common to call it the day the Sun turns around,  the first day of Astronomical Winter. The days begin to be noticeably shorter and, of course, the nights much longer. To offset this, we turn the clock back one hour! Winter is in the air.

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Here in the US, We are accustomed to four seasons: Spring, summer, autumn and winter. Residents of Tromsø ,Norway claim five seasons. They claim two winters! Part 1 and part 2.

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Winter part 1  is The Dark Time-In Norwegian -' mørketiden' – the dark time perfectly describes the first half of winter, which lasts roughly from October through early January. As the name suggests, it’s the darkest time of year. It’s still wet and often  stormy with frequent rains which tends to wash away any snow, but the darkness is eased by  lights on the city streets and later, Christmas lights in every Norwegian house. The bright Christmas lights bring joy accompanied with  gifts and happiness for upcoming times. Christmas lights bring joy to everyone!
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        Winter part 2 –
The White Winter After Christmas . Everyone’s mood improves. Snowfall is heavier and more frequent, so although the days are still

short, available light is reflected off the snow, giving the impression of a much lighter environment. It’s at this time of the year that Norwegians take to the great outdoors to go jogging on sticks (cross-country skiing), eat waffles, drink coffee, and generally be really Norwegian.

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Kari Leibowitz,  a PhD student at Stanford University,  spent August 2014 to June 2015 on a Fulbright

scholarship in  in northern Norway. Tromsø is so far north that from November to  January, the sun never climbs above the horizon. Leibowitz wanted to see if residents’ rates of seasonal depression increased during the dark winters. She discovered that "people view winter as something to be enjoyed, not something to be endured."She added "There’s a saying that there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing."

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Norwegians also have a word, koselig, that means a sense of coziness. People light candles as they drink warm beverages, and wrap in fuzzy blankets close to crackling fireplaces.Tromsø has plenty of festivals and community activities creating the sense that everyone was in it together.people are enamored with the sheer beauty of the season.Norway’s winter season’s scenery is not

necessarily the color of “white snow”. Deep in the winter in Norway, when the sun doesn’t rise above the horizon, several hours a day can still look like sunrise and sunset. Residents enjoy scenic colors that are incredibly beautiful while the light is soft and indirect.

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For those of us who are not so lucky to be enjoying The Nordland’s Winter Beauty, we tend to be happy when our snow is gone and spring warmth is back. Winter is long and some people really do enjoy it! Think positive. Apparently, we need to change our attitude!

A Mindset Shift?

Leibowitz. has some comments and suggestions:

"One of the things we do a lot of in the States is that we bond by complaining about the winter".
 She says: "It’s hard to have a positive wintertime mindset when we make small talk by being negative about the winter. Talk about ice skating, or building snowmen. Bundle up and go for a walk outside, knowing that

you’ll likely feel warmer and happier after a few minutes. Better yet, go with a friend. Social plans are a great reason to haul yourself out from under the covers”.( Maybe these people have an advantage: Small Norwegian communities are tightly knit, and strong social ties increase well-being everywhere).

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Some area of Scandinavia receive early snowfall, and snow causes upland roads to close while other roads remain open with limited plowing. Residents become accustomed to walking in snow and have, for generations, learned to adjust, dress accordingly, accept it, and enjoy the long snow season. Norwegian youth are skilled in skiing to school and home again.Snow is welcome and enjoyed by all.
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There has been a couple pair of cross-country skis in our Wisconsin attic that haven’t been used for some time, and we did enjoy getting out on ski trails ‘back in

the day!’. Now, getting older, it’s cribbage, dominoes and hot chocolate while we watch the snow fall in the yard. Leibowitz has a point. There are some good things about winter, but these Wisconsin winters can be “something else”!

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Personally,  I’ll have to work on that “Mind Shift”. But first, I’ve got to get my body to accept this “Daylight Savings” thing! We gained an hour, but I‘m still tired. The days are getting short.

Winter is coming! It’s time...