Vesa Miettunen, Rovaniemi, Finland:

The polar night is the perfect excuse to be a bit lazy. I call it my personal Arctic siesta. There is no need to stress about cleaning, no one will see the dust lying on your floor.

Gunda Hackbarth, Helnessund, Norway:

I live in a small village by the ocean with 300 inhabitants, mostly fishermen and old people. There are also three moose and two eagles who have joined us. I see lots of fish, birds and wildlife just outside my window. It’s a good substitute for the darkness, which does affect your mood.

I like to build a snow cave, fill it with candlelight and drink a bottle of red wine with my friends. We go outside and smell the snow.

Jakob Ollander lives in Umea, Sweden, but grew up in Kiruna, Sweden:

We spend our lives trying to be productive and constantly trying to be better than we used to be, but when I come home to Kiruna, everything just stops. You can take it easy and slow down.