Darkness / die Dunkelheit

It's dark in Salzburg at this time of year. Today the sun rose at 7:53 AM and set again at 4:16 PM. It's hard to get used to, especially in the afternoon when you start getting that sense that the day is ending because the light is fading, but you look at your watch and it's only just after 3:00. We tend to grumble a lot about the dark of winter in New Jersey, which isn't nearly as dark as it is in Salzburg, but you don't hear much grumbling here.

In fact, people seem to take the opposite approach, embracing the Zauber (magic) of darkness here. At Nikolas' school, they welcome the dark by keeping the lights off in the lobby and cloakroom in the morning, candles and lanterns lighting the way. It's only just after sunrise when we walk to school, and all those candles and lanterns are like a beacon.

Scattered around the city are Christmas markets, almost too numerous to count, with their lights and stands and mulled cider and hot punch. The crowds gather here in the dark, and somehow when everyone is in it together, the cold doesn't seem so cold and the dark doesn't seem so dark. Even Hofer takes part in this celebration of light and dark, a giant candle burning outside the door. I suppose when you see the dark as an opportunity to bring a little light into the world, then the dark isn't so bad after all.

For more pictures of Salzburg in the dark, click here.