The sky is filled with shades of blue and green. It moves through the air like it’s living. We can’t believe how beautiful the night sky is as we stare up at it. There’s a quiet feeling in the air. It’s like seeing these bright lights dance to a song you can’t hear. You have to see the Northern Lights in Sweden! This page has more information about the Northern Lights.

What is Aurora Borealis?

It’s also known as the polar lights, the northern lights, and the southern lights. The Aurora Borealis is a natural light show in the sky that can usually be seen in places with high latitudes. If the solar winds are strong enough, they can mess up the magnetosphere and make this beautiful effect. These are mostly electrons and protons, which are charged particles.

The Latin word for “aurora” comes from the goddess of dawn. She would go from east to west and let everyone know that the sun was coming up. A lot of Greek artists wrote about the name and used it to talk about the beautiful colors in the sky at night.

 

In Sweden, the Northern Lights are in the north. But sometimes you can see it in other places too. There is a place called the “auroral zone” where you can mostly see the Northern Lights. Find out where the auroral oval is on the internet if you want to be in the best spot for this amazing show. Since this changes every day, you should check it often and get ready for a trip to see the stars at night.

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When to see it?

Early September to Late March

At first, you might be able to see the northern lights in and around Kiruna, which is in northern Sweden, in early September. When is the best time to see the Northern Lights in Sweden’s Lapland? In January. The Swedish Lapland covers about ¼ of the country, and this place is in the northwest corner of it. A lot of people say that the best time to see the northern lights is between 10 and 11 p.m. But it’s a good idea to look at the weather report for this area online to see what the aurora oval here means.

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Best Places to See Aurora Borealis

These are some great places to visit in 2021 and 2022. These are the places where you can often see the northern lights and how good they are. Nordic countries are some of the best places to see this beautiful event, as you can see.

  1. Tromso, Norway (Take a cruise and see the northern lights here!)
  2. Swedish Lapland (Check out Abisko for the northern lights here!)
  3. Reykjavik, Iceland (Enjoy stargazing and the light show here!)
  4. Yukon, Canada
  5. Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland (Go on a tour in this area here!)
  6. Ilulissat, Greenland

Swedish Tradition

Photo by David Becker on Unsplash

Check out an excursion in Sweden to see the norther lights here!

Myths about Aurora Borealis in Sweden

The Sami people who live in Sweden think that the bright lights are the souls of the dead. Sami people believed that dancing, singing, or whistling at the beautiful lights would make the souls feel disrespectful. They thought that if you did that, the lights would go out and you would go to heaven.

Another myth comes from the Vikings, who thought that the Northern Lights in Sweden were the Valkyries carrying the bodies of dead fighters to meet Odin, who was their god of all gods.

People in northern Sweden thought that the northern lights were caused by a lot of herring fish. They thought it was a good sign because they caught a lot of fish. This is why they would start fishing.

Swedish Tradition

Photo by Benjamin Suter on Unsplash

Finnish Lapland

I came across an interesting story from Finland. People say that the lights in the sky came from a fire fox running so fast across the white snow that he made skid marks. The sparks then flew up into the night sky.

Japanese and Chinese Culture

Some people in Asia think that if you get pregnant under the northern lights, the baby will be beautiful and lucky for the rest of its life. In China, for example, many people thought that when the light show happened, there was a fight between dragons in the sky. Dragons, both good and bad, spread fire across the sky at night.

Iceland Culture

People in Iceland think that the northern lights can ease the pain of giving birth. But they also say that women who are pregnant shouldn’t look at the northern lights before giving birth because it will make the baby have crossed eyes.

Aboriginals in Australia

The people who lived in this area thought that the southern lights were their gods dancing above. They felt more connected to their gods at that time.

Swedish Tradition

Photo by Vincent Guth on Unsplash

Why Visit Aurora Borealis in Sweden?

In Sweden, you can see the Northern Lights, which is one of the most amazing places to see them. This isn’t just anywhere! Also, if you see it in northern Sweden, you might be able to see both the Ice Hotel and the Northern Lights in the same day. When this path can be seen in the sky at night, there is often a blanket of white snow, which makes the night sky even more beautiful.

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Adventures in Sweden

 

 

 

 

If you do decide to go to Sweden to see the Northern Lights, make time for the other things you can do outside. People can go on walks, canoe or kayak, and do a lot of other fun outdoor activities. Read Adventures in Sweden to find out more about the less traveled roads and exciting things you can do! Swedish scenery is so beautiful that you won’t want to leave! Read on to learn more here!

 

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Aurora Borealis in Sweden

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