To wonder if those who love winter have very robust mental health or very happy lives?

[Comedycook]

So I was thinking about this after reading a thread about weather. Lots of posters saying how they loved winter...some even said they love the dark evenings and what really surprised me was the poster who said they loved dark, cold mornings. I assumed everyone hated these!

Now I'm not in a terrible place mentally and I'm not depressed but I do find the dark, rainy, cold days do affect my mood. When the evenings are warm and light I feel so much happier.

I'm really interested in how others don't feel that the winter brings them down and actually enjoy it. Are they naturally happier, more positive type people?

I love autumn also, it's my favourite season. Where I am, in NZ, autumn is warm - right through until June this year, it was lovely. It's spring now, and while it is certainly better than winter spring is often still cool. I need sunshine, and I need warmth, and while summer can be a bit too hot at times I love the ease of leaping out of bed and putting on minimal clothing. I really hate the layers of winter clothing.

I think if I lived in the UK winter would be the end of me. Here, even on the shortest day, it doesn't get dark until between 5.15 - 5.30 pm, and it was always light when I walked to work for an 8 am start. We don't get as much rain here either, mostly frost and sunny days.

You said you can't imagine people enjoying those things if they lived in a city. I'm saying we do.
I'm not saying anything about your personal experience.

You said you can't imagine people enjoying those things if they lived in a city. I'm saying we do.
I'm not saying anything about your personal experience

I didn’t say that . I didn’t say anything about city’s. We actually lived in the country at the time. It was a very dilapidated bungalow we rented off a local farmer.

Sounds like you got me confused with someone else maybe?

Oh god sorry it was the bit you quoted above your post!

No worries

No the rain will go past you and head for Hebden Bridge.

I also imagine that those who love snuggling under a blanket in front of a log fire after eating a warming casserole having just had a walk in the woods, all have beautiful houses in beautiful areas. I can't imagine people enjoying these things if they lived in a tower block in an inner city.

I'm on a council estate in Wolverhampton.

I don't mind it. I like fireplace and snuggled in heaps of blankets.

I don't care for ice and snow storms

The word “snuggle” is actually giving me the gip now!

I know..unless you're looking after a poorly 3 year old there's no excuse.

Me too…

Heaps of blankets???🤔

Don’t see the appeal of lying (festering) under a blanket on the sofa for 6 months..yes reminds me of being ill or something..

I wonder sometimes if those who loathe autumn/winter are averse to the reality of death and decay? For some reason I seem to be ok with embracing life's darkness, but I imagine a lot of people can't face it.

Personally I like the sense of there being a season for everything, as is acknowledged in the pagan wheel of the year:
https://pluralism.org/cycles-of-celebration

Our family made a big celebration out of the winter solstice last year, and we hope to do it again this year. We had a special meal, then went outside where the was a fire in a brazier and we threw two slips of paper onto the fire: things we wanted to let go of, as well as things we hope will happen. Then we toasted marshmallows.

Winter is 3 months. December, January, February.

Don’t get me wrong, I like my wool throw over my legs on the sofa for an hour or two watching TV. but that can’t be a plan for a whole season!!!!

@KimberleyClark In the U.K. we all know the dark months are much longer than 3!

I love being able to wear thick chunky cardigans, have my lovely winter duvet out, cosy on sofa with blanket and tea, the list could go on.

I HATE the heat so much and struggle so much when it's hot.

Also op do you have young kids? Toddlers go to bed easier when they can see it's getting dark, it helps with their understanding. The dark is my friend when it comes to my 19 month old.

I found bedtime really difficult this summer. When it's dark outside they will at least sometimes take the hint that it's time to get ready for bed.

Sorry I haven't RTFT but agree with @PinkGrapefruitSorbet

I don't understand the love for dark evenings, because evening commitments don't magically stop in the dark. So I still want to go to the things I enjoy (choir, orchestra) and take DS to the things he enjoys, but now we have to defrost or demist the car, wonder where to park that feels safe to walk back to late in the dark, etc etc. Plus I can't get gardening done after work which I like doing in the light evenings. If I lived somewhere warm I might not mind the dark so much, but the safety aspect will always be a concern too

I don't mind colder weather but I hate the fact the daylight hours are so much shorter in winter. Lots of people talking about staying home, wearing pjs, lighting candles, having hot chocolate as if they're hibernating! I don't mind doing that on the odd Sunday evening after a walk, but you still have to go to work (in the dark) pick up kids (in the dark) run errands or go shopping (often in the dark). I had to collect DD from the cinema at 11pm the other day in the cold and rain when ideally I would be in pjs!

I like to run and generally go a few times a week. The ideal weather for running is cool and dull ....but ideally daylight! Mentally it's harder to make myself go out when it's dark and possibly cold/raining, but practically it restricts routes to more boring residential areas and even lots of those are fairly poorly lit.

I love all the seasons equally. I am very happy and always look for the best in everything. I feel like all the seasons have something to enjoy about them. I know lots of people who hate winter or never go anywhere if its raining, and I feel sorry for them as it must be rubbish to pretty much dislike half of the year!

I've always likes winter and I've lived in dingy student houses (when younger) and very average city flats (mid 20s to now).

Summers are worse in flats for me (too hot, cant sit outside in the garden or have a paddling pool).

I don’t think of September and October up to the clocks going back as “dark months”. And February is a short month and has Valentine’s Day in it so…..

I have a relative who lived in LA for some years. They got bored of the endless sunshine and missed the changing seasons.

Winter is 3 months. December, January, February.

In theory, yes. Where I live wintry weather lasts a lot longer than that. We had a cold spring this year and it didn't start to get properly warm until June. I live in the Eastern half of the UK and we were subject to the cold east winds all through May. The country had an East/West divide weather-wise instead of the usual North/South, and we were on the cold side.

I don't like festering under blankets. I really do get that not everyone can afford to heat their homes sufficiently, but I prefer to be able to sit in a warmer ambient temperature rather than hibernate under a load of blankets.

I'm surprised that the heat haters love to bundle up in thick clothes. I prefer to be able to move freely and not feel constrained by wearing several layers.

I wonder if this is to do with feeling unconfident about the way they look?