Winter — December 2023
Snow at the start, storm towards the end
Winter solstice this year started out with sun and a few white fluffy clouds, and now we are all waiting for the storm Pia, which will hammer down from the north-west this afternoon and evening, and there does not seem to be anything ‘pious’ about the storm, more likely ‘devoted’ to work havoc. Several ferry schedules have been cancelled, as have trains and flights with bridges and airports closed — this is, after all, a country mainly made up of islands. It should all be over by tomorrow afternoon but still, a peculiar way to celebrate winter solstice.
December weather has, so far, been a mix of everything from ‘normal’ November and October weather, in a strange combination with December or ‘proper’ winter weather. At the start of the month, snow enveloped the whole of the country to the delight of children and grown-ups alike — there is something special about the way snow crunches under your feet and the light touch of falling snowflakes on your cheeks. Temperatures were down at -14°C at night, half of that during the day, but it did not feel icy as there was hardly any wind and the humidity was low. Just a week later, the snow was gone and the humid cold was back, around zero but felt like -10°C. The past weeks have been grey, wet, humid, no sun, no stars. Yesterday, the sun came out, there were blue skies, and at the baker’s, the young woman serving me said it was incredibly light around 3.30 pm even though we were close to the winter solstice — I told her this was because of the clear sky, and we actually saw the sun set around 4 pm as it was supposed to do.
Right now, the wind is icy, and the cold rain is pelting down, so no visits to the garden, but hopefully, we have not left anything outside that can blow away. There is enough to do indoors anyway, with gifts to be wrapped, a sweater to have a second sleeve finished, and letters to write. Once the storm has passed, the birds will receive their Christmas gifts, and I shall start to prepare the dinner for Sunday. Danes celebrate Christmas on the 24th, some go to church at 4 pm and then go home to prepare the dinner. Once everybody has eaten, the tree will be lit and gifts exchanged. Then to bed to be ready for the Christmas lunch on the 25th. You can always look at my post from December last year for more on the heritage of Yuletide.
I hope you enjoy these Christmassy photos, all from the week between 2 and 9 December. There is now quite a number of people who have their Christmas travel plans interrupted and a lot of the outdoor decorations will be blown away. There will be flooded gardens and fields, trees will be uprooted, and the west coast will see storm surges — and then we shall all try to find peace of mind to celebrate the season.
