Somaroy, an island in northern Norway where the sun does not set for 69 days during the summer, wants to make their island the first "zero-time" region in the world.
After a long polar night, as the sun does not shine from November to January, Somaroy residents try to make the most of summer, when the sun stays in the sky from 18 May to 26 July. During this period, traditional timekeeping is ignored, and it is not uncommon to see people doing all kinds of things late at night (at 3 am), doing housework, swimming, or playing ball in their yards. Because daylight is permanent, people sleep when they feel the need. This has been the case for generations, but now the people of Sumaroy want to declare their island a timeless zone.
"In the middle of the night, at 2 am, children can be seen playing soccer, others are keeping their homes or trim grass," said one of the residents of the island, Kell Ove Hafding. "There is a constant light in the day and we act accordingly." They go swimming. "
For many people, getting a "timeless zone" simply means formalizing something they have been practicing for generations. It may seem a joke or a promotional trick, though the island has received a tourist boost after the announcement of the plan, but the locals take it seriously. They have already met a member of the Norwegian Parliament to hand over signatures of their petitions and to reveal the practical and legal implications of their endeavors. If they succeed, more than 300 islanders plan to make schools and working hours more flexible by ignoring traditional working hours. The bridge leading to the island from the mainland is decorated with hours instead of the locks we see on other bridges around the world.
- Somaroy residents are trying to make the most of it
From the summer, when the sun stays in the sky
From 18 May to 26 July.