Swedish Sunday: the dark.

Sweden is dark. 

Yes, I, a non-daylight savings time Saskatchewanite said it. It is dark here. The sun currently rises at approximately 8:30am and sets by 2:45-3pm. I thought I knew dark, but this is bringing it to a whole new level.  Come 3pm each day you are not sure whether to eat dinner, go to bed, or turn on every light in your home.

As you can imagine, SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is a real issue. In an attempt to battle SAD, Umeå, a city 500 km north of Stockholm, has introduced a new light therapy. Keep in mind, Umeå currently sees a maximum of 5 hours of sunlight per day, this total shrinking with every day that passes, and settling around 4 hours a day mid December.

Photo from the Local.

In attempt to provide Umeå residents with the requisite vitamin D, the local energy company has introduced solar lamps at a number of bus stops throughout the city. The idea is to provide light therapy as a treatment to SAD, compensating for lost sunlight exposure through the dark winter months. Locals have complained about the lights being distracting, but as of now, I am all for it. Bring the lights to Stockholm! And next, to Saskatchewan!