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We recently came across a Reddit post stating that in Sweden, a room is not a room without a lamp in the window. So naturally, we had a lot of questions — most of which were: why? Do the Swedes want people looking into their homes at night? Well, we've found a Swede to offer some insight — Emma Ruprecht, who currently lives in New York City.
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Ruprecht confirms that these window lamps are usually found in kitchens or living rooms, and especially so during the winter when nights are long. The sun doesn't rise until approximately 9 a.m. and already sets at 3 p.m. in January in Sweden, after all, according to Visit Sweden.
"During winter when the days are so short and dark, we want to add as much light as we can," Ruprecht told Hunker. "For Swedes, it's very important to make everything 'mysigt,' or cozy — it's equivalent to the Dane's hygge, so to have a light in the window and lighting candles when we have guests over adds to that feeling."
We see IKEA's famous lamp commercial in a whole new light now — the light-source is positioned mighty close to a window, no? Were the lamp's owners tossing it simply because summer was around the corner? We may never know ...
Ruprecht also says that in December, Swedes often add inverted v-shape candelabras into any and all of their windows, as part of the advent celebration. They represent a countdown to Christmas.
So, there you have it: one way to make your home feel more Scandi without spending a dime — you surely have a lamp laying around, right?