Northern Lights Holidays

The Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis (Northern Hemisphere) or Aurora Australis (Southern Hemisphere) are the result of a collision of high energy particles from the sun and atoms high in the atmosphere causing them to become what is known as excited or ionised.

When these elements in the atmosphere return back to a normal state, a proton is released in the form of light, the Aurora, and this is the awe inspiring imagery that makes Northern Lights holidays such a popular bucket list experience.

The energy that drives the Aurora is generated by the sun and the constant release of high energy particles causing what is called the solar wind. Just like a normal wind the strength and speed of the solar wind can change, depending on what is occurring on the surface of the sun.

Solar flares can cause a high density of these particles to be directed towards Earth, creating a solar storm with high solar wind speeds. In turn this then increases the energy in the upper atmosphere causing large Northern Lights displays.

Auroras can come in many different colours depending on which chemical elements in the atmosphere are excited when hit by the solar wind.

The different colours seen depend on which element is interacted with, what height they are and what state they are in. If oxygen is involved then the Aurora can be green or red, nitrogen blue or red.

The best time of year for Northern Lights holidays are between September and March.

The Aurora Borealis is visible from nightfall to sunrise, although the best hours are typically between 9pm and midnight. While you will need to be under open, dark skies for a clear view of the Northern Lights, the Aurora is so powerful that it can still be seen under clouds.

When booking a luxury Northern Lights holiday, it is also good to consider which other winter activities you would like to do – there is a lot to choose from and this will affect where and when you travel.

The Northern Lights are surrounded by myth and legend. Even the modern day solar scientists openly admit that there is so much that is still not understood – continuing to fuel appetite for stories passed from generation to generation. Although the first written account of the Aurora is thought to date back to 2,600BC in China, it is a cave painting from southern France from 30,000BC which is believed to be the earliest surviving record of the phenomenon. The Bible is also believed to describe the aurora in the Old Testament *1 as well as references in ancient Greek and Roman literature*2. It’s no wonder that Northern Lights trips are so popular as it looks as though we have been fascinated with theNorthern Lights for as long as records exist.

According to one popular Finnish myth, magical arctic foxes sweeping their tails across the snow and spraying it into the sky is the real reason for the spectacular light show. In fact, the Finnish name for the Northern Lights even translates as ‘fox fires’.

Old Icelandic folklore believed that the Northern Lights would ease the pain of childbirth. It was not all good news for mothers though – it was also thought that pregnant women looking at the Aurora would give birth to cross-eyed children.

Norse mythology connected the Aurora Borealis with war. It was believed that the lights appeared when sunlight reflected on the shiny shields of the Valkyries who were racing across the sky on the way to their resting place, Valhalla.

The Sámi people traditionally lived in a vast Arctic area of northern Sweden, Finland, Norway and Russia. With an unparalleled proximity to the Northern Lights a number of legends to explain the phenomenon were passed through generations.

Believing that the lights were souls of the departed, Sámi believed in behaving solemnly and respectfully whenever the lights were in the sky. Bad fortune awaited anyone who showed them disrespect so many people chose to keep their families indoors when the lights were on display.

It was also believed that if you whistle a tune under the lights, it would summon the spirits closer and closer, until you were whisked away.

On a positive note, they also believed that the lights were also considered to have the power to aid conflict resolution.

The Scandinavian name for the Aurora translates as ‘herring flash’ as it was believed that the dancing whirls of green light were a reflection of huge schools of herring in the sea. Whenever the lights were visible, fishermen were expected to be blessed with good catches of fish.

According to Swedish legend, a winter with frequent displays of the Northern Lights served to predict a good yield of crops the following year.

In Norwegian folklore, the Northern Lights were thought to be the spirits of old maids dancing in the sky and waving at those below them.