Are you wintering like us Finns? 12 feel-good reasons to hunker down at home
We Finns are masters at making the most of the deep freeze! Suddenly, you find the energy to pare down the clutter and show wash everything—or you cozy up on the sofa and put the sauna on. We’ve rounded up 12 good reasons to enjoy staying in when it’s cold.
When it’s below freezing in Finland, many of us get stuck at home—you just don’t feel like going anywhere! The phenomenon even has its own term, wintering. In severe cold, the number of winterers grows. The streets feel eerily empty—no one anywhere. Instead, there’s a light in every window, because people are at home. The windows practically proclaim the bliss of staying in.
So how to make the most of the time spent indoors? We’ve rounded up 12 delightful thoughts wintering sparks among the Kotona team. What would you add?
1. You can happily let the cleaning slide.
When it’s practically an Ice Age out there, no one’s going to drop by anyway.
2. You end up sleeping more.
It’s easy to get enough sleep when it’s constantly dark and far too cold to go out.
3. You can hit the sauna as often as you like.
Maybe not the most eco-friendly, but quintessentially Finnish! In the sauna, you’ll finally hear more from the teens, too.
4. Now, if ever, it’s time to defrost the freezer.
And that’s the most frost you’ll want to see in weather like this.
5. You actually make those phone calls.
When there’s nothing interesting left on streaming, on TV, or anywhere at all, you suddenly remember the people you meant to call a year or more ago. And wow, does it feel good to pick up the phone!
6. You finally get to pare down your stuff.
Once you’ve hunkered down at home, you can’t help but see how much stuff you’ve accumulated. At last there’s time to organize, reduce, and pass things along!
7. You can do snow washes.
Suddenly you notice everything that could be snow-washed: wool sweaters, rugs, duvets, and stuffed animals. Pro-level snow washers cool items first in a snow-free spot—say, on the balcony or a cold porch—so the snow won’t stick.
8. You read books in peace.
The urge to scroll whatever might be happening somewhere else right now suddenly fades. Instead of multitasking, you can stay on the sofa and settle into a book.
9. You can pull out everything warm.
Like that wool throw your godmother made—usually too hot, but right now absolutely perfect. Wrapping up in it is close to heaven.
Want to make your own throw? Crochet one with our instructions—made with chunky yarn, this one comes together quickly.
10. Your preparedness and sensible purchases are a joy.
If you do have to head out, you’re grateful for the smart clothing buys you once made. Snow pants, ah! Merino base layers, yes! Sheepskin mittens, pure bliss!
11. Getting dressed is easy.
A winterer doesn’t need to do much laundry or think hard about what to wear. At home, you can stay in pajamas or loungewear from morning to night. Working from home, you can maybe swap your shirt now and then.
12. You get to indulge in chocolate—because sometimes you just have to.
By the same token, you can set up a hot cocoa bar or bake a batch of mokkapalat.
