Winter is Coming
--
Scanidnavians can teach us a thing or two about how to maintain happiness in the long dark days ahead — but it requires more than twinkly lights
COVID-19 has sucked the fun out of pretty much everything this year, and as temperatures drop and the days shorten there is a worry that not only will case counts continue to increase but the psychological strain of being house bound will take an even larger toll on mental health. As the time change approaches, plenty of people are turning to Scandinavia (which paradoxically boasts among the happiest people on the planet and arctic winters) for advice on how to navigate the long dark days ahead.
What do people accustomed to up to 20 hours of darkness a day do? First, they embrace the concept that there is no bad weather, only inappropriate clothing. They still go for long outdoor walks, and spend time outdoors all year round. Second, they focus on and celebrate the activities and traditions of the winter season — skiing, sledding, and outdoor bonfires. Finally, they counter the darkness with light — twinkle lights, and copious amounts of candles (the Danish burn more candles per person than any other country, though with some risk).
The truth is that twinkle lights and hygge will only get you so far. It’s providing for people’s basic needs and mental health and wellness that explain how Scandinavians navigate winter so well.
If all of this seems like too much of a lifestyle spread ripped straight from the pages of Vogue — that’s because it is. The truth is that twinkle lights and hygge, the Danish concept that loosely translates to coziness, will only get you so far. While Scandinavia consistently ranks high on happiness and well being, it also includes among the most socialist countries on the planet. Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland take care of their people by providing universal health care, tuition free college, free childcare and generous paid family leave for illness, child birth and bonding. A social contract that takes care of people and provides for a high level of public trust serves as a stabilizing force that can balance the anxieties of income inequality, the squeezing out of the middle class, and the concern shared across the world that one’s children will do worse than their parents. It can, to put it another way, make the darkness more bearable.
So hang some star garlands and bake gingersnaps, but I would like to suggest that the best way for Americans to get through the coming winter is to turn out and vote — because happiness is a policy choice.
