Have you ever wondered how people on a remote island close to the North Pole shop for groceries? Or what the landscape looks like during the four-month-long polar night? We hadn’t until we chanced upon Cecilia Blomdahl’s Instagram account. She lives in Svalbard, which has a population of 3,000 humans and some polar bears. Her feed has shots of her daily life, customs and routines of the Norwegian archipelago. Her latest posts show the islanders gathering to welcome Santa Claus back to their town, Longyearbyen. This is her favourite tradition. Legend says Santa Claus lives in the old mine in the mountain above their town, and every year, on the first day of the advent, he returns to the village, turns on the lights in his home, and puts out a postbox at the bottom of the mountain for children to put their lists in. Blomdahl takes us along with her as she stands with other villagers, with torchlights, to welcome Santa back home. Follow her right away if you want a peak into this unique life.
@sejsejlija, Instagram

Sparkling in the sun