Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 2

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Day 2

It’s December, but it doesn’t look like it. If you want to see snow in Finland, you need to go up North. But then you will meet the darkness despite the snow. The sun doesn’t show in Lapland for a while because of the polar night. It’s right down austere if you’re not used to it. I think people who live in the South of Finland suffer more from it because they don’t know how to handle it the same way. Snow would make it less dark, but now it’s dull and depressing. It’s more about attitude. If you see darkness as bad and don’t see anything positive about it, you look at it incorrectly. You shouldn’t stop living just because it’s not light outside. The sun sometimes shows in the South of Finland, so it’s not always dark. There was snow in November, but it melted. The weather forecast predicted there would be snow this week, so that will be less austere.

Some people get depressed when it gets dark earlier, but I don’t mind. It’s cosy when you can sit inside with the lights on and do things you usually do. If I go outside, looking at people’s balconies with Christmas lights is nice. Then, the city has lights and decorations all over. If you complain about how grey and depressive things are, then it’s no wonder you feel depressed. Put on the lights and the candles. Listen to music, watch a movie and anything you fancy. Take a walk outside or take a car ride. Or maybe go to the shopping mall and look in the windows. You don’t need to buy happiness. If you look outside and think, “It’s so dark, ” don’t. It won’t be like that forever. When the darkness is over, you complain about it being too light. What is wrong with us? Nothing is ever good enough. Negative thinking is never good, so stay positive and find something good in everything. Have a cookie. Even the smallest thing can make you feel better. Things are only austere because you make them to be, so don’t. They can be simple if you want to.

The Advent Christmas Calendar is here again

Christmas balls, stars and light
Made with Canva

Day 1

Wow, this year has gone fast, and that’s what makes it so surreal. Today it’s December 1st. I had an advent calendar on this blog in 2016 and 2017, and I’ve decided to have one this year, too. It’s 23 days to Christmas Eve. It’s my first Christmas alone. I never thought last Christmas was the last with Dad around. Christmas won’t be the same, but one thing hasn’t changed. I’m taking a cruise to Tallinn this year, too. I don’t need to think about anything other than relaxing. In a way, I’m not alone since there will be other people. Christmas isn’t that important for me anymore. If I had a family, I would feel differently. My parents and I haven’t spent Christmas at home since 2010. In 2011 and 2012, we went on a cruise to Riga, Latvia. On a cruise, everything is done for you, including the food and the entertainment. A big bonus is a day on land. In 2013, we didn’t go anywhere since my mother died on December 15 that year. Me and my dad stayed at home. That was a sad Christmas. In 2020, we stayed home too. It was COVID-19 then, so no cruises were organised because of it.

The shipping company made cruises to Riga until 2017 and then to Tallinn the following year. I went with Dad on the Christmas cruises, the last time being last year. Because of the cruises, I have been abroad the most in Latvia and Estonia—unless you count Stockholm, but that’s summer trips and one advantage of living in Finland. Once, we went on a Christmas cruise to Stockholm. It’s two nights on the ship and a day on land. I’ve been to those places so many times that I almost know it by heart, at least in the town centres. So Riga, at least 6 times and Tallinn 5 times, so quite a lot.

So, this is the first post of the 2024 Advent Calendar. It won’t be all about Christmas. Here we go.