The polar night, known as kaamos in Finnish, will begin in Finland's northernmost municipality of Nuorgam this weekend.
The sun will set in Nuorgam on Saturday at 12:05pm and will not rise again until 18 January, according to weather forecasting firm Foreca.
As winter progresses the polar night will gradually creep southward, bringing darkness to other areas of Finland, but it will be longest in Nuorgam, a phenomenon lasting more than 50 days.
Kaamos is much shorter in the municipality of Sodankylä — around 360 km south of Nuorgam — starting around 13 December and ending about 16 days later.
Daylight hours continue to shrink elsewhere too, at least until the winter solstice on 22 December, the shortest day of the year.
Many people have developed ways of coping with the dark conditions, including using bright light therapy lamps, taking trips to sunny destinations and participating in fun activities.
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