Kassandra Melish explores the downsides of Danish summer's near-constant daylight, from 4 am to 11 pm, which makes sleep nearly impossible without blackout curtains and masks. Heat lingers in homes without air-conditioning, leaving people cranky after weeks of broken rest. She also questions the relevance of Sankt Hans, the midsummer tradition of burning a straw witch.
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Hello and welcome to the How to Live in Denmark podcast. I'm Kassandra Melish. If you're in Denmark right now, You'll know we're coming up on the year's longest day this week, June 21st. You know it because it starts getting light around 4 in the morning, and the sun doesn't go down until around 10:30 or 11, and then you're up again at 4 in the morning. In between, it never really gets dark, just like around the winter solstice in December, it never really gets very light. During the dark times, I know that I wait and wait for the light times to come. Sometimes I count. Only 3 more months until the light times. Only 6 more weeks until the light times. But when the light times do get here, they're actually kind of annoying. Sure, it's great to have some sun in those long summer evenings, green trees and wildflowers. But with all that light, it's kind of difficult to sleep. Everyone I know has blackout curtains and wears sleep masks. But they don't always work, particularly when it's hot, and people start to get a bit crabby after a few weeks of limited sleep. The fact that it's light until 11 PM is great on a Saturday, but not so great on a Tuesday when you have a 9 AM meeting the next day. It is hot, and I love the heat, but Danish homes are designed to keep heat in, not let it out. There's not all that much ventilation and never any air conditioning. So if you're stuck inside for some reason, you melt or just take a lot of showers. In the summer, you get to see your neighbors again after not seeing them for several months during the winter. And the first time you see their kids after the winter, their kids look giant. I mean, these kids have been packed away all through the winter season in snowsuits and boots and hats, and when you see them unpacked, they're entirely changed. I mean, the baby packed away last October is now walking and riding a little bike. The skinny 12-year-old you saw before parka season? He's now a teenager with a deep voice. This time of year is also home to my least favorite Danish holiday, Sankt Hans Day. Sankt Hans, which I just found out today is actually the Danish name for Saint John the Baptist, takes place on the 23rd or 24th of June each year. It's Denmark's version of the summer party that seems to take place in every northern country at some point. There's beer and outdoor grilling and mosquitoes. What Sankhans has that I don't like is the burning of a witch. Now, I'm not the most politically correct person in the world. I'm not the type of girl looking everywhere for sexism or insults to women. But even I find it problematic that Sankhans revolves around setting a woman on fire. It's a straw woman, and the woman is supposed to be a witch. The highlight of each party is building a giant bonfire, and when the bonfire is at its height, they put a straw witch on it. Now, Danish people assure me that this is no problem whatsoever. It's just tradition. I think it's a bad tradition. Anyway, I usually stay home for Sankt Hans. One last thing that happens this time of year is I start getting a lot of mail at howtoliveindenmark.com. From people saying, I'm moving to Denmark this fall, what should I bring? Money, I tell them. You should bring money, a lot of it. And sweaters and rain gear, because this nice sunny weather won't last forever. Bring lots of extra socks because they're very expensive in Denmark and no one really knows why. And if you're going to stay in Denmark till this time next year, Bring a sleep mask. And that's the How to Live in Denmark podcast for this week. You can follow us at howtoliveindenmark.com, on Twitter @howtoliveindk, and on Facebook at How to Live in Denmark. See you next week. Remember, the How to Live in Denmark book is available for download on amazon.com. You can read it on any phone or tablet. All you need is the Kindle app, and the Kindle app is free. The book's not free, but it's not very expensive either. If you read the book and enjoy it, please leave a review on your local version of amazon.com. It helps other people find the book and find the podcast.
