The Sun Festival - Solfestuka

At 8th of March the sun is shining on the steps of the old hospital. That hospital is gone for long time ago and even the steps are just a copy but we're anyhow celebrating the return of the sun on that day.

People are gathering around they place were the hospital was in old days. Everybody is waiting excatingly: Will we see the sun this year or is it hiding behind the clouds?

It was -26 degrees Celcius and weather was brilliand. But organizers of the celebration had got the wrong time when the sun is getting over the mountains and so the most of the people got home before the sun came up.

Even thoug there didn't came any big celebration in that cold weather it was fantastic to get the sun back on our town. I think there is a reason to celebrate that a complete week.

Solfestuka

I came from the holiday just on the end of Solfestuka (=The Sun Festival Week). The celebration for to get the sun back was already over (that's always at the 8th of March) but for me the most important happenings are Ta sjansen (a competition for funny sledges) and Solfestrevy (=The Sun Festival Revue).

Ta sjansen is usually on the other side of the fjord in Hiorthhamn, but this year it was arranged on the root of Sarkofagen because lack of snow and icy conditions. Usually we have been joining the happening with frozen fingers and freezing us but enjoying the sun over the mountains. This year there were no any problems to hold us warm in the mild weather, but also the sun was lacking as arrangement was in the shadow for addition to cloudy day.

But Solfestrevy didn't disappointed us. That is kind of round-up for everything what has been happening in the previous year in Svalbard. And as usually, nobody can feel safe - anything can be taken up!

Solfestuka - The Sun Festival Week

Finally sunbeams are also reaching Longyearbyen. We're celebrating the sun coming back at the 8th of April when it's possible to see it first time from the stairs of the old hospital. And we're not only celebrating then - there is a full week with different happenings.

Actually we didn't see the sun when it was supposed to show up over Lars Hiertafjellet. Instead it was snowing and blowing. We haven't been lucky with the sun last years - last time there was a sunny day in that big celebration in 2005. But we celebrate anyhow, even though the only sun we see is the happy sun in the drawing of 8-years old Sigri Steen. She made this years official logo for Solfestuka.