I like the winter time very much and when the weather is dry, sunny and also quite cold then, suddenly a complete clarity can spread in our minds. So the month of January – which is also my birth month – is always something special for me in the annual cycle, when the old year is still present after a new year has already begun. This is possibly why the ancient Romans dedicated this month to their ancient god Janus, better known as the god with two faces, who symbolised both beginnings and endings for them – the spirit of entrances and exits.

Icy mountain station on the Fichtelberg (1,215 m) near the German-Czech border

January is usually also the coldest month in the northern hemisphere and begins nine or ten days after the winter solstice, which here means the shortest day of the year and a very long night – a day that is also very important for past cultures and earlier civilisations. In the ancient Celtic cycle of the year, the so-called ‘Raunächte’ begin soon after at midnight on 24 December and last until sunrise on 6 January. For our ancestors, these were truly holy nights, a time spent with family and festivities, in other words, what today is more profanely called the Christmas season.

That’s me and my fast luge in action

Of course, this must also be a good time to really enjoy winter in the mountains, when snow crystals in thick layers cover trees and bushes, hills and meadows, houses and paths in sometimes mysterious and strange ways, inviting you to move on to the distant horizon.

Endless forest path in snowy disguise

And after such a walk through the white-painted woods, it’s time to dive into the real soundtrack of winter: The Walrus Hunt by The Residents  is one of my favourite songs. And now welcome to the real north, the home of the Inuit.