Coming from the part of the world where it gets close to 45°C in summers and 12°C in winters, this past month was a bit annoying at first but then I experienced snowfall for the first time in my life and I fell in love.

Darkness is engulfing the country as we approach this time of the year with barely 6 hours of light. As bad as it may sound, everywhere you go, streets and parks are all glowing with lights.

Normally I am kind of a tropic person, 35°C is not a problem with me but as for some people it is unpleasant sun. Winters however, is a totally different story for me. Morning 8 am classes proved to be a pain but soon I found myself welcoming the cold. From the time I have been here which is not long enough, I have heard this expression countless times:

“det finns inget dåligt väder, bara dåliga kläder”
(there is no bad weather, only bad clothes)

So, I stuffed myself in overcoats and jackets and I was surprised how well I could deal with the weather now.  Sometimes when you roam around during this time of the year, you could witness the light reflecting from the ice crystals on the streets and combine them with a clear sky, it is surreal. These magnificent moments you witness from your eyes makes you happy even in the darkest hours.

In front of stora torget, Uppsala

Swedish people love talking about the weather whenever you meet. Expressions likeVad är det för väder? (What is the weather like?), Vilket väder! (What weather we are having!) always comes in handy.

In this cheek-biting cold, there are some things which everyone should keep in their minds:

  1. Dressing properly.
    From looking good to being warm, this is the first thing a person should keep in his mind.
  2. Being social.
    As the dark winters are here, this is the best way to fight it. Spending time with friends and enjoying Fika, going for drinks and parties definitely helps.
  3. Walking in the sun.
    You might not want to miss the only thing which is hard to find these days. This is a better medicine than the Vitamin-D tablets you must be wondering about. A daily walk whenever you find the light is the best.
  4. Embracing the situation.
    Put your warm clothes on and just go out. You might stumble upon something that you might cherish for the rest of your lives: The Northern Lights.

A view from Gamla Uppsala

I can finally strike that off my bucket list.

  1. Take advantage of the snow.
    Skiing, skating, walking in the woods are some of the perks that you will get in this time of the year and take my word, you don’t want to miss it.

Christmas Tree in front of St:Per Gallerian

By the time you feel bored after doing everything, it will be Christmas. Nothing is quite as delightful as Christmas in Sweden and you can feel the festive spirit everywhere. The birthplace of cinnamon rolls and if you haven’t tried a true knelbullar, you are missing out on something great. From making the best hot chocolate to the winter treats and anything in general, Swedes are the best. Being a foodie, this country is like a heaven for me.

Stockholm – The Venice of the North, always looks good but during this time of the year its even more beautiful with snow falling on the streets as you walk around in the narrow streets of Gamla Stan. From late November, the Christmas markets are all set and waiting for you.
There are also heavy discounts on the stores and this might be the best time to buy clothes.

For more information on how to celebrate Christmas like a Swede, take a look at this:
How To Celebrate Christmas Like a Swede

As December arrives, you can get to see restaurants all across the country attracting people towards their ‘Julbord’ which means Yule or a Christmas Table. The tables are stocked with Christmas food. This traditional Christmas dinner is something that you might now want to miss if you are not having a Christmas eve celebration at home or if you’re a student like me away from home.
Last week, I was at the grocery store buying some things for dinner and I saw this stock of unusual drinks lying there. Further investigation led to me finding out that it’s a Christmas drink which is only sold during this time of the year. I had to try and so I took one and it tastes like a fizzy root beer. I was amazed to find out that this drink beats everything in sales when it arrives, even the classic Coca-Cola.

Julmust – a Christmas drink

Coming from a place without proper winters, never knew what snow really felt like and how great it could be with a cup of coffee and sitting in front of my window and watch it fall and change everything. When I moved to Uppsala, I remember eagerly waiting for it. Now it’s here I have no words to explain how beautiful it is. Maybe it is the best time to fall in love with winters, anything that happens now will be well worth it and eventually the spring will arrive but it will be a perfect story to tell my grandkids when I get old.

Because, why not?!

/Kanishk