Why do Brits live in darkness except for December?

[Swedegirl48]

I am Swedish and at home if you walk down a street, most houses will have lamps in some of the windows, outside lights and usually people don’t draw curtains so you can see the lights from within the houses. I was asking British DH today why Brits tend to light up their houses so enthusiastically in December, but the rest of the year people draw their curtains and no one seems to put lamps in the windows (at least not where we live which is London). I am the only person in my street who has a lamp in every window of my house and leave some on overnight too. I think I am trying to overcompensate for my very dark street.

The winter we lived in Stockholm our beautiful corner not far above street level apartment in Karlaplan had no curtains. Rather odd but lovely when you're used to it. I now tend to have a few branches on my doorstep along with a candle in a lantern back in the sticks. I agree with you OP.

Indeed. My mum runs around turning off LED bulbs, yet leaves the shower running for 5 minutes to “preheat” it (using most or all of the 28kW boiler’s output) while she shepherds my disabled father from the bedroom to the bathroom.

We don’t want to be watched by Peeping Toms and serial killers

To be fair, having a few lamps on won't make a massive difference to the leccy bill.

Don’t worry. We see the stars and beautiful aurora.

I’m the same! I’m scared of the dark so will absolutely not have a dark room whilst I walk around my home

I grew up in an abusive home and used to love (very sadly) looking at other peoples homes and wondering what their lives were like

I close my curtains when I feel a chill but not when it gets dark. Before any of you jump on my dick I don’t own a car or go on holiday abroad so that’s how I sleep at night

My house is lovely and cosy inside (warm white bulbs!) but we’re in a dark skies area and in a bat super-highway so not allowed any outside lights.

@nextlocation fairly sure its the other way around - the UKs aversion to ‘the big light’ is a source of much ridicule. And very true in this house!

Haha good example. We don’t take baths, don’t know anyone who has a bath tub. But we have always warm houses and led lights on and the lights cost nothing. A bath would.

Do you mean so that things appear brighter/Warner/ more cheerful? Is that the purpose? I'd really like that.

My curiosity is because in December you light your houses so much they can probably be seen from space😅

So we're in the wrong if we have the big light on. And we're in the wrong if we have no lights on. 🙄 Can't bloody win...

We don't want to be burgled. It's a good way to showcase your valuables. We don't want the dead finding their way back either.
It's an old English custom for people to put lights in the windows at Halloween to light the dead home on that night.

Isnt it easier for serial killers to operate when people have their curtains shut? It’s easier to kill in darkness. I don’t have curtains and I have my light on and that might actually put off serial killers?

I never use the big light. Lamps only. I think that is what @nextlocation is getting at.

Not sure why you would be lighting up your window with a lamp. We live in the countryside and I love the very dark nights when you can see all the stars. Used to live in London and there so much light pollution already without everyone lighting up every window in their house.

We have this thing in Britain, that we care about-you might not have it in Sweden-it’s called “The Environment” 🙄🙄

Poor Greta, she tried so hard to educate the folks of her homeland 🤣

Since visiting Norway a few years ago I make a conscious effort to make my house welcoming to those on the outside. I have those false candles (battery powered) in the windows and lights on the garden trees that come on every night.
We have had people knock on the door to tell us how much they enjoy seeing it on dark nights.

Saving energy. I get what you mean though. It's comforting to see light.

Why would you want or need to light the streets up or have lamps in your windows? What light you have on should be inside the house I would have thought.
When it gets dark out I close the curtains and put the lights on. You keep the light inside the room. Do people really put lamps up in their windows? What for?

Yes, you are right. Never the big light.

Yes, Christmas decorations that are designed to look pretty are quite different from a light that is designed to provide light. Nobody is putting lights up outside in December to provide warming light to the rest of the street like a window lamp does. There's no correlation.

Privacy and security.

Nosey, rude people staring in and the dange of theft if valuables are on show.

I hate having the curtains open if it’s dark outside/lights are on inside. I’m always scared there will be a creepy man stood on the other side of the window that I can’t see. A completely irrational fear as I live in a small village and the chance of that happening is miniscule. But you never know. I also don’t like the idea of friends coming over and staring at me through the window and then knocking as I jump scare easily lol.

I would hazard a guess Swedish people care as much about the environment as as people in the UK. All OP is talking about is a few lamps in windows.

Only on MN could people get so arsey about an innocuous question.

Only ever the big light for me! I've never understood faffing about with lamps when there's one simple wall switch available.