It’s getting cold around Satomi Miyata, Lundagård’s columnist. But she knows how to survive the Swedish winter – with different kind of lights.
Some people say that the trait of making comparisons does more harm than good in your life. But can you actually appreciate the moment without your past reference? This is actually the hidden principle of how Swedes survive the long, cold and glooming winter.
Before i came here, I thought coldness would be the biggest contrast to summer. But it was not the cold, but the extremely limited amount of sunshine that I needed to learn to cope with. Durig winter in Tokyo, surrounded by all the neon-lit, high buildings, you rarely look up at the sky. My world was detached from the sky. But in Sweden one is suddenly hit with a fear of being gulped by gloomy and loomy omnipresent sky.
To keep Swedes on the right track during winter, indoor lighting plays a crucial role in providing some hints of reminiscence of the last summer. It needs to make the space comfortable and cozy enough for people to at least accept the idea of Swedish winter and just barely make it.
Have you noticed that lamps at cafes or restaurants are hanging at a relatively low level over the tables? Almost so low that you might hit your head against the lamp! It seems like Swedes are disparate to feel the light in their faces in lieu of extremely limited amount of sunshine during winter. In addition, Swedes seem to care for using a lot indirect lighting. For example, by throwing light on the wall on specific pictures or drawings, you are rather surrounded by all sorts of lighting than having all the light directly casted on you. Almost the same feeling you get when you immerse yourself into the warmth of sunshine.
It is no exaggeration to say that candles are one of the daily essentials here. Candles are special in their way of creating warmth within the space and enhancing people’s intimacy. But at the same time, when the candle light vanishes, you are drawn back into a darkness of loneliness with only the special scent left when you blow out the candles. And you are suddenly driven by a strong urge of longing for summer.
Yes, we know that Christmas is around the corner, but, also, excuse me for reminding you that the real winter is just around the corner too. Why don’t you start your preparation by arranging your lights in your room?
