My Arctic Circle Sacrifice

Polar Night, 4 kinds of Twilight, & an encounter with a Norse god

Entering the Arctic Circle

[My husband, Larry, and I are currently aboard Hurtigruten’s Coastal Express - a working ferry that traverses up the Norwegian coast and back. We’ve set our cabin’s phone to go off when the crew makes important announcements, such as when the Northern Lights are visible.]

December 17, 2024: At 7 a.m., our cabin’s twinkly alarm woke us, followed by an announcement over the speaker: we were about sail into the Arctic Circle.

This imaginary line, located at a latitude of 66° 33’, marks the boundary where unique phenomena occur—within the Arctic Circle, the sun never sets during the summer solstice and never rises during the winter solstice.

Acrtic Circle Monument

Lar and I quickly threw on clothes and rushed up to Deck 7, eager to witness this significant moment. Standing outside at the stern, we caught sight of Vikingen, a rocky islet off Norway's west coast, which is topped with the Arctic Circle Monument—a globe sculpture that perches on its rugged terrain.

I’m so grateful the crew alerted us so we could witness this iconic marker. Although it was too dark to take clear photos of the glowing monument with my iPhone from the moving ship, seeing it was quite a thrill.

Polar Night

Speaking of darkness, I’ve been eagerly anticipating the Polar Night—those winter days when the sun never rises or sets in the arctic. The exact dates for Polar Night vary from mid-November through mid-January, but since it’s December 17th, we’re right in the thick of it. Yee haw!

Before this trip, I mistakenly believed that Polar Night meant perpetual pitch blackness. But guess what? It’s not that simple—there are actually several types of twilight!

4 Kinds of Twilight:

• Civil Twilight: This is the brightest form of twilight, and occurs when the sun is 0 to 6 degrees below the horizon. During Civil Twilight, it’s still light enough for outdoor activities, and you might spot planets like Venus, or bright stars like Sirius.

• Nautical Twilight: This is a bit darker, with the sun dipping 6 to 12 degrees below the horizon. It’s called Nautical Twilight because there’s still enough light for ships to navigate by the stars.

• Astronomical Twilight: The darkest form of twilight occurs when the sun sinks 12 to 18 degrees below the horizon.

• True Night: For complete darkness, or True Night, the sun must be at least 18 degrees below the horizon. When we stood on the chilly deck watching the Arctic Circle marker pass by, I’d say it was still True Night.

Surreal Sunrise and Sunset

Later, during breakfast, the sky began to glow with a rosy pink tinge as the sun prepared to rise—at around 11 a.m. At this latitude, catching the sunrise in December does not require being an early riser!

Check out this screen grab I took of the weather forecast. Not much time between sunrise and sunset, is there?

4-Hour Day

Our first trip to Norway was in summer. When we sailed into the Arctic Circle that time, we experienced the Midnight Sun. In fact, there were 6 days during which the sun never completely set.

This trip provides a striking contrast. Various shades of glowing pastels create a delightfully cozy, and at times, rather surreal setting.

My encounter with Norse god, Njord

Our day was packed with Arctic adventures. After the early wake-up call, we joined a ceremony on Deck 7 to celebrate crossing into the Arctic Circle. The event was lively and fun—complete with a nod to Njord, the Norse god of the sea.

According to tradition, Njord is hard of hearing, so we had to shout his name several times to summon him.

When he finally appeared (dressed in reindeer furs with fishing nets and wooden buoys draped around him) he blew his horn and demanded a sacrifice to ensure good weather and favorable conditions for viewing the Northern Lights.

My sacrifice for good weather & Northern Lights viewing

The "sacrifice" involved volunteers (including me!) having ice-cold water ladled over their heads and down the back of their shirts. The shock of that icy splash made me shriek, of course. This inspired Njord, with a mischievous grin, to toss an extra ladleful of ice water directly into my mouth!

It was playful and exhilarating, and the laughter kept us warm. As a reward for our bravery, we were handed shots of schnapps to toast the occasion.

The ceremony was part tradition, part spectacle, and entirely fun.

Unique Atmosphere

Polar Night creates such a unique atmosphere. Though my early morning photos didn’t turn out, I took several beautiful shots during sunrise and sunset.

The waning gibbous moon lit the snowy landscape in the pre-dawn hours, making everything look magical. I can easily envision spending a couple months in a cabin up here. It would be the perfect setting to write my next book.

While you’re here, check out my other blog posts at the following links: Tui’s Travels and/or Tui’s Tombstones. Enjoy!

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