In the middle of winter, of course, there is a blackout. In between are long periods of skumringstid, or twilight, when the landscape is awash in purple or bluish hues. It's easier for visitors to maintain their body rhythm in southern Norway. Still, in Oslo there are 19 hours of sun at the summer solstice, compared with only 6 hours during the Christmas season. In these latitudes there is nothing subtle about the tilt of the earth.
Life goes on in the dark.
Norway's most raucous celebration of New Year's Eve takes place way up in Arctic Troms. After New Year's, one does sense a hunkering down across the land - a period of introspection and snow shoveling. Easter signals the reawakening. En masse, Norwegians pack their cars and drive into the mountains for a last fling on skis. By the 17th of May, Norwegian blood is in full flow.