In a bold and unique move, the 350 residents of Sommaroy, a small island located in Norway's Arctic Circle, have declared their community the world's first time-free zone. This innovative initiative aims to liberate its inhabitants from the constraints of the clock and offer them the freedom to live life at their own pace. The campaign leader on the island, west of Tromso and inside the Arctic circle, Kjell Ove Hveding, told the Norwegian public station NRK,(The Corporation for Norwegian Broadcasting) "People are characterized by stress and depression all over the world."


(Source: Google Images)  

In Sommaroy, the midnight sun creates a surreal and enchanting atmosphere. For around six months, the sun remains above the horizon 24 hours a day, casting a perpetual golden glow over the island. This natural phenomenon allows residents and visitors to experience daylight at all hours, making activities like midnight swims or early-morning strolls a reality. The unending daylight not only transforms daily life but also enhances the island's beauty, offering breathtaking views and a unique way of living amidst the Arctic Circle.
 

“In many cases, this can be linked to the feeling of being trapped by the clock. We will be a time-free zone where everyone can live their lives to the fullest … Our goal is to provide full flexibility, 24/7. If you want to cut the lawn at 4 am, then you can do it.”

According to Truls Egil Wyller of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, "It's a fascinating concept." He claimed that only the previous 200 years had seen society "so disciplined in a very special way" under the control of the clock. Before that, you would typically work for as long as it took, eat when you were hungry, and take a nap when you were exhausted. From the time we wake up, everything we do in modern life is dictated by the ticking of the clock.

Land With No Time ~ 


(Source: Google Images) 

Without time, life in Sommaroy would not be particularly easy for the residents. He said to the presenter, "I'm not going to say it's impossible to pull an entire island out of the global clock." "However, it sounds challenging." Following a public gathering in May, the islanders last week presented a petition requesting a parliamentary discussion of the plan to Kent Gudmundsen, the local MP. He said it sounded interesting to the iTromsø newspaper, adding that it might be taken into consideration as a third option in addition to summer and winter. The proposal has been warmly received by visitors to Sommaroy, with some even leaving their watches behind and affixing them to a bridge that leads to the island. Not all locals, though, are as certain. Malin Nordheim, the hotel receptionist at Sommaroy Arctic, stated, "I can foresee challenges with some guests when it comes to checking in and checking out, as well as the opening hours of the bar and restaurant." "I'm not entirely convinced."

The islanders, whose primary sources of revenue are fishing and tourism, want to abolish formal opening hours so that people can “do what we want when we want.” However, Hveding noted that children will still need to attend school. Sommaroy experiences darkness from November to January, but during the summer, locals are aware that the sun won't set for many days. "It's constant daylight. It's acceptable to paint your house at two in the morning. We'll swim if we feel like it at four in the morning. Here, we enjoy every minute of the midnight sun, and yes, having coffee with friends on the beach at two in the morning is a normal thing," the inhabitants stated.