Last night I decided to make a “Snölykta”, a Swedish Snow Lantern. Here is the finished creation glowing at dusk just outside our front door. I haven’t seen these appear on lawns anywhere else in Muskoka, or in Canada for that matter, but they are a winter tradition and common sight in Sweden, specially during the Christmas season. Perhaps they will catch on here someday too.
A Snölykta is made by simply stacking snowballs to form a hollow cone shape into which a little candle is placed. A tea light is perfect for the job. As long as the Snölykta is tall enough to keep the roof well clear of the candle then it won’t excessively melt or drip water onto the candle to extinguish it. My snow lantern was about two feet tall and the candle inside burned for hours.
It was nice to see the warm glow outside on a cold winter night. In this photo the surrounding snow has a lavender tint as well, coming from some of the nearby Christmas lights.
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