• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Place where people live in complete darkness for nearly three months

Home> Community> Life

Published 16:06 29 Dec 2023 GMT

Place where people live in complete darkness for nearly three months

For nearly three months of the year, Svalbard sits in complete darkness due to the Polar Night.

Callum Jones

Callum Jones

Featured Image Credit: Fredrik Meling / 500px/TikTok/@sejsejlija

Topics: World News, Weather, Life

Callum Jones
Callum Jones

Advert

Advert

Advert

Winter of course means one thing - well two things, I suppose.

First of all, the weather turns pretty bleak and miserable for a lot of us, providing some pretty wet days that make us wish we were on a beach.

But a second sign that we are well and truly in winter is the early nights, as the sunlight disappears as early as late afternoon in some places.

You think that is bad, but there is actually one place on planet Earth that sits in complete darkness for nearly three months of the year.

Advert

Svalbard sits in complete darkness for three months.
Getty Stock Photo

Residents in Svalbard, a cluster of islands between Norway and the North Pole, live a very different life to others in the rest of the world.

Many of the people who live there wear headlamps day and night for two-and-a-half months of the year, a very unique way of living.

This level of darkness is all because of the Polar Night - a period of time where the sun doesn't rise above the horizon in the Artic.

Advert

Alongside Svalbard, Longyearbyen and Norway also experience a Polar Night every single year.

The archipelago is twice the size of the Hawaiian islands, though roughly only 2,500 people live there.

Nonetheless, residents need to have their wits about them during this time of year.

When out and about on their travels, Svalbard's inhabitants travel in pairs for safety reasons, particularly when they are leaving their village.

Advert

Svalbard may be very small compared to some of the well known places across the world, but it has received a lot of publicity in recent years thanks to the likes of TikTok.

The place has become more well-known thanks to TikTok.
Getty Stock Photo

One particular interesting measure residents take that has blown up on TikTok is that carrying a gun during the Polar Night is actually very common.

It is not traditionally used for protection from other people, but instead for any potential bear attacks.

Advert

The tactic has become that well known grocery stores have become aware of it.

TikTok content creator Cecilia Blomdahl said in a recent video: "And remember, no guns in the store, so you give them to one of the people so they can lock them in if you have a gun with you from being outside and, you know, hiking."

While many outsiders would probably dread it, people in Svalbard actually look forward to this time of year dubbed as a fifth season.

  • Family who moved to ‘blue zone’ where people live longer explain how it’s impacted their health
  • Man who traveled to every country in the world without flying reveals the worst place he’s been to
  • Woman, 33, given just months to live after worrying symptoms were mistaken for long Covid
  • ‘Lonely’ and sexually frustrated dolphin blamed for attacks on nearly 50 people

Choose your content:

16 hours ago
23 hours ago
a day ago
  • 16 hours ago

    Missing US woman 'found' alive thousands of miles away and living a totally different life

    The Texas woman is now in Scotland living a completely different life

    Community
  • 23 hours ago

    Coldplay's Chris Martin directly addresses viral CEO 'kiss cam' scandal with savage statement in recent show

    The Coldplay frontman shared a warning to fans as they prepared the jumbotron

    Community
  • a day ago

    People are left shocked as small 'pocket' in women’s underwear is finally explained

    The pocket holds a range of different functions

    Community
  • a day ago

    Burger King employee who went viral running entire store for 12 hours alone reveals she's now been fired

    The Burger King employee claims she has been fired

    Community