Quite often, people dread the coming of winter. The mere thought of those long, dark nights is enough to send us into a depressive tailspin. What little daylight there is gives minimal respite, since the air is cold and damp and the sunshine feels weak.
The trees and shrubs are bare of foliage, flowers are almost nonexistent, and most living beings seem to shut down for the season or escape to warmer climes. Oh, how we long for those long, lazy days of summer!
But wait. Could there be a positive side to the cold, wintry weather?
Even if you are not a keen skier or ice skater, an aficionado of the downhill toboggan, or a fan of a snowshoe trek, there may well be something quite delightful to discover in the coldest season of the year.
Delight in the Sights
Although winter is known for being dull and dark, it can also offer moments of intense brightness, casting memories of dreariness from your mind. Waking up to an unusually bright room in the morning and realizing the world outside your window has been transformed into a dazzling winter wonderland can be utterly uplifting.I recall that my mother would come into my room when I was a child to wake me and comment on how bright it seemed, just so she could see my reaction: “Snow!”
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Nothing has changed; I still love the sight of it. Each snowflake that falls is a tiny miracle, an exquisite combination of art and mathematics. How can something so diminutive be so perfect and beautifully designed? Take time to marvel at them; it’s worth the effort.
Whether snow or simply a layer of crystals left by Jack Frost, winter’s white blanket is a sight to behold. Spiderwebs hang like diamond chandeliers. Each step you take etches a perfect footprint into the frosty floor; each breath puffs out a cloud of vapor that momentarily floats in the frigid air.
On a grander scale, there are festivals across the world, from Alaska to Sapporo, Japan, where snow and ice are sculpted into works of art. In Jukkasjarvi, Sweden, at the swanky IceHotel, you can even sleep in your own ice-sculpted room and drink cocktails from glasses carved out of ice.
Find the Sounds in the Silence
Like any good movie with an accompanying musical score, each season has its own soundtrack. Birds tweet and lambs bleat in the springtime; insects buzz and hum in the summer. In the fall, leaves rustle and the wind whistles. What of winter? Its soundtrack can sometimes be devoid of the usual callings from nature—but can be full of sounds brought only by cold.One of these winter sounds, paradoxically, is silence. When the trees are bare and the air is still, it is possible to lose yourself in that beautiful, calming blanket of quiet.
Another sound, and one that is synonymous with my childhood, is the unmistakable crunch, then creak, of snow underfoot. Even as an adult, this fills me with pure, unadulterated joy. The sight of new snow triggers an instant reaction: I simply must stand in it!
It sparks fond memories of snow days when my friends and I would delight in swapping math lessons for snowball fights, our glowing cheeks smarting when returning to our warm houses. But why stop at childhood? I recall with almost equal delight having a snowball fight in a parking lot with some teacher friends and catapulting a snowball directly into one of their ears. That certainly made a sound—a cry of shock, then a good-natured promise of retaliation!
Indulge in Food, Glorious Food
When the season turns and the nights draw in, nothing is better to keep you warm than comfort foods—filling, easy to eat, and feeling like a belly full of hugs. Think of the homely slow-cooked stews and casseroles you were fed as a child; broths and soups made from carrots, cabbage, and squashes; and anything containing potatoes.I am rarely happier than when eating a mountain of mashed potatoes with a well of melted butter or a poached egg on top (picture Richard Dreyfuss making his mash into Devils Tower in Spielberg’s ’77 classic “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”).
Let us not forget the sheer indulgence of winter desserts. Where I am in the UK, apples, pears, and plums are slowly stewed with warming spices and then served with hot, creamy custard, awakening the taste buds with the contrast of sweet and sour. Hearty cakes are tucked into while still warm; the likes of steamed sponge pudding with golden syrup and custard spring to mind (as I type, I can smell it from memory). Doughnuts and waffles are served hot and dipped into melted chocolate—a calorific, yet one could argue necessary, treat to fuel the body and keep us warm. As a child, rice pudding, tapioca, and sago and semolina were firm favorites, especially with a good dollop of raspberry jelly on top.
In the winter, a cup of your favorite hot beverage is no longer a mere refreshment to quench your thirst. It is now to be savored for not only the taste, but also the warm glow that it produces in the very core of your body and the feeling of the hot mug cradled between cold hands, slowly thawing frozen fingers. Walking into a café for a hot coffee or decadent hot chocolate, topped with whipped cream and maybe a scattering of marshmallows (remember, we need the fat and sugar to keep warm!), takes on an altogether more significant meaning. It is an occasion. It should be celebrated!
Take ‘Cozy’ Seriously
If there is one part of the world that really gets its cozy on, it’s Scandinavia. Winter is embraced as a time to snuggle up and enjoy quality time with friends and family. “Hygge” (pronounced hoo-ga), their concept of coziness and comfort, has become a bit of a worldwide phenomenon. It’s all about time spent with others, feeling comforted by one’s surroundings, and perhaps enjoying a good brew and a tasty treat.How can we bring hygge into our own homes? It’s simpler than you might think; you just need to recognize it. You may choose different lighting in your living quarters, opting for the soft, comforting glow of a side lamp to illuminate the room. Switch out your bedsheets for flannel and drape a fleecy blanket on the sofa, perfect for enveloping oneself in while watching a late-night movie or staring, mesmerized, into the dancing flames of an open fire. Remember putting your pajamas on the radiator so you could step into the delicious warmth after a hot shower? Or leaving a hot water bottle in a bed to heat it up before climbing in? That sounds like hygge to me.
So as winter befalls us all, open yourself up to the perks of the chilly season. See the beauty these months have to offer. Eat and drink not only for fuel but also for pleasure. Practice hygge with friends and family. Embrace your inner child, stick another sweater on, and get out there and enjoy the cold!
