Not long ago I id an article on Sky Burial rituals...primarily because I found the topic very interesting...today, I happened to stumble across another area of similar interest...from the inhabitants of the world's northernmost spot of population... Longyearbyen, Norway...in fact, this place boasts the world's northernmost church, radio station, postal office, museum, ATM, airport and university...all at a latitude of 78 degrees N...
Image Credit
Once a coal mining town, Longyearbyen is positioned so far north that the permafrost remains thick throughout the year...and the sub-zero temperatures don't help either...in fact, it's so cold in Longyearbyen that it is illegal to die there...and this has been a law since 1950...in all actuality you're just not allowed to be buried there...all deceased bodies must be flown to mainland Norway for burial...the cold temperatures and permafrost are so consistent that scientists discovered viable traces of Spanish Flu when exhuming bodies at the local cemetery...and this was after most people thought the Spanish Flu was eradicated...
Image Credit
Due to the frigid year round temperatures...every house in Longyearbyen is constructed on stilts...this prevents them from sinking and sliding down the slope when the topsoil thaws during the short summer months...cats are also forbidden from living in Longyearbyen...this is a protective measure to save arctic birds...there are also polar bears that threaten the area from time to time...so ALL Longyearbyen residents are required to own and carry high powered rifles with them wherever they go for personal protection...
Image Credit
To top things off...every year the residents of Longyearbyen gather together in the middle of town to celebrate "Solfestuka"...which is considered a summer fun festival held in honor of the returning sun...this occurs on March 8th every year...and signals the first sign of the sun in the past 4 months...which means that for 1/3rd of the year these folks live in complete and total darkness...have you booked passage to Longyearbyen yet...?
As always...if you enjoy the read, please consider giving us an upvote/resteem so your friends and followers can enjoy too...until next time!
I actually learned about this in one of my history classes , so it was nice reading it on steemit 👍🏽
Very cool...glad you liked it :)
there is no avalanche?
Not really...this place exists on an island...so the snow is windswept and doesn't accumulate enough on the slopes.
Love these pics!....RESTEEMED!!!
Glad you enjoyed it...THANKS!!!
Cold and dark for 4 months. Sounds like a great place to go to get some work done/write a book/etc.
And probably to see some polar bears.
Can one see the Northern Lights there?
Polar Bears for sure...and I'd imagine the northern lights are poppin' that far north...at least they have been in all the other far north regions I've visited...in Alaska and Canada
A very beautiful and peaceful city @justusagenstum
I would imagine so @wahyurahadiann