Winter is nearly here in the Northern Hemisphere. Is this a season you look forward to each year? Or do you dread the onset of these dark, cold months?
While winter can be a difficult time for many, The New York Times has reported on the ways people around the world embrace the season:
For example, in “Taking in the Light: Sweden’s Lucia Celebrations,” Ingrid K. Williams reports on a Swedish winter tradition:
Imagine the darkest time of year in Sweden, when the sun never climbs above the horizon in the northernmost part of the country, and in Stockholm, the capital, there’s a scant six hours of daylight. Every day is shorter and gloomier than the last until the nadir — the darkest day of the year — when a young woman appears dressed in a white gown with a blazing crown of candles on her head, singing a familiar song and spreading warmth and light on a frigid winter morning.
That’s the traditional Swedish tale of Lucia, or, as she is sometimes referred to, St. Lucia, a mythic figure who leads candlelit processions all over Sweden on Dec. 13. Luciadagen, or Lucia Day, is one of the most culturally significant holidays in Sweden.
In “Teetering Between Joy and Terror: Extreme Sledding in the Swiss Alps,” Elaine Glusac writes about an exhilarating activity that can only happen when there’s snow:
To reach the top of the Waldspritz sledding run above the village of Grindelwald in the Swiss Alps, I hiked 90 minutes into the backcountry, dragging a small runnered sled by a rope to roughly 7,400 feet.
Above the tree line, the snow — a brilliant fondant whiting out granite ledges and filling meadows — lay deep on either side of a four-foot-wide sledding path groomed in perfect corduroy. When I reached frozen Lake Bachalp, I turned around, straddled the sled and dug my heels into the unyielding snowpack to keep myself from ripping down the mountain. I took a last look at the panorama of milky blue glaciers clinging to skyscraping peaks, then braced myself for the more than six-mile descent. Releasing my heels, I immediately rocketed toward a blind turn and rolled my ride into the depths off-piste to keep from sailing off the mountain.
In “7 Brilliant Cookies to Keep Your Holidays Bright,” the Cooking section shares recipes to celebrate the season, such as this one for Mexican hot chocolate cookies:
These spiced and spicy cookies, chocolaty and brimming with molten marshmallow, are a terrific treat to keep you warm in the colder months. The dough itself is imbued with cinnamon and a bit of ground cayenne, a combination commonly found in Mexican hot chocolate that also gives these cookies a flavor reminiscent of the holidays — and a slight kick when you least expect it.
And in “Love Letter to a Season I Never Loved When I Was Young,” Margaret Renkl writes about the beauty that can be found in the winter months:
The autumnal tumult has gone quiet as the season of change settles into the season of rest. Nary a katydid or cricket sings in the night.
I miss the flying leaves, but I am grateful for this stillness and this quiet. I am so grateful for the birds. Though fewer in winter than in the other seasons, I can see them better now. Unhidden in the cold boughs, unmuted in the cold air, their echoing songs spill down from the bare branches.
Students, read at least one of the articles above, and then tell us what you appreciate most about winter. Here are some questions to consider:
What rituals or routines help you embrace the winter season?
What holiday festivities do you look forward to?
What do you like to eat, drink, cook or bake when it’s chilly outside?
What cold-weather activities do you enjoy, whether they involve going outside or staying in?
What do you find difficult about winter? What helps you cope?
What do you find beautiful about the season?
If you live in a place that is warm year-round, do you ever wish you got to experience the magic of winter? Why or why not?
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.
