Radio | News week in plain Finnish | Saturday 22 June 2024

How does light affect us?

The topic of the news week this time is light. It is now midsummer and there is more daylight than in other seasons. Now we will tell you how light affects us.

The longest day

Midsummer is now celebrated in Finland. The daylight hours are now longer than before.

The longest day this year was Thursday. In Helsinki, daylight lasted about 19 hours and in Oulu about 22 hours.

Lapland now has a nightless night, which means the sun doesn’t set even at night. The daylight hours are therefore 24 hours.

The bright time of summer is important to Finns. Light even improves health.

Light and health

Finns get too little light in winter.

Up to 30 percent of Finns get symptoms from the dark winter season. They are tired and eat a lot. Many people gain weight in winter.

In summer, the situation is the opposite, because light affects hormones. Light increases the amount of serotonin and cortisol in the human body.

That’s why Finns are more energetic and active in the summer, and many lose weight.

Unfortunately, the human body cannot store light for the winter. That’s why you have to enjoy the light now, while you have it.

Summer and love

In the summer, many fall in love, or at least want to fall in love. The Finnish language has its own word for summertime lover. It’s a summer swing.

Do we fall in love in the summer because the light makes hormones work? Perhaps the bigger reason is that we behave differently in the summer than in the winter.

After the dark winter, when the light starts to increase, we go out and meet others. When the still thick winter clothes are thrown away, we notice how beautiful people are.

Midsummer magic

If you can’t find your love, do this: collect 7 different flowers and put them under your pillow on Midsummer. You see in a dream the one who will become your groom or bride.

There used to be a lot of Midsummer magic like this. The Finns believed that plants have magical power at this bright time of the year.

Repeat

The topic of the news week was how light affects us. Let’s say it again.

Now is Midsummer and the brightest time of the year.

Light makes people feel better because it affects hormones.

In old folklore, the midsummer festival is associated with magic and love.

This was Uutisviikko in plain Finnish, see you again. Goodbye!