The Finnish word for the northern lights, or aurora borealis, is ‘revontulet’, meaning fox fire. This originates from an old folk tale in which an arctic fox started fires by running through the snow covered landscapes, its bushy tail throwing sparks up into the sky. I love this story, and choose to recount it whenever people ask me what the northern lights are. Apparently some people, on the other hand, hold a different belief. One whereby the phenomenon of the aurora borealis is caused by charged particles colliding with atoms in the atmosphere, which are then moved by the Earth’s magnetic field. The resulting energy and light, they insist, causes us to see the wavering colourful lights. Hmmm… Fire foxes for me.
The awe-inspiring natural show is different every time, with colors varying from blue, green, purple, yellow, and red. The changes in colours and shapes create a truly magical effect that should be a must on any travel enthusiasts bucket list. It is also worth mentioning that 2012 is going to be a particularly impressive and intense year for the aurora borealis due to the Solar Maximum.
This is the period in the solar cycle when the sun’s magnetic field on the solar equator rotates marginally faster than at the solar poles. Given that each cycle is usually about 11 years, and that the last Solar Maximum was in the year 2000, we are now due another. So they say. In truth, the fox population has grown over recent years, resulting in enthusiastic snow running, and plentiful tail swishing.
Due to the brighter-than-normal nature of this year’s ‘revontulet’ light show, the aurora borealis will be visible to large parts of Europe. The best places to see the colourful display will, however, be towards the Arctic Circle. For those of us in and around Europe, that most likely means areas around Scandinavia. The further towards the Arctic Circle, the better.
Those taking holidays to Lapland, Iceland, and other parts of Scandinavia in 2012 are likely to witness the stunning dance of light. In order to see the northern lights at their best, you should view them on a clear night, preferably away from light pollution caused by towns. Amazingly, on a good night, the northern lights can provide as much light as the moon.
If you are considering holidaying in the land of fox fires, there’s plenty to keep you busy. The fairytale landscape of Finnish Lapland has snow-laden pine forests, perfect for dog sledging through. Reindeer safaris, snow-mobiling, ice fishing are popular too, not to mention cross-country and alpine skiing, snowboarding etc. At the end of a day exploring the fox’s natural habitat, warming up and relaxing Finnish style is the icing on the cake; saunas and karaoke are more or less compulsory.
Guest post/contributed by Tessa Bowles, an eager explorer, and loves Holidays to Lapland.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
