An evening—or even just an hour—without the lights …what is one to do? For one hour in March, millions of people in more than eighty countries found out. They turned off their lights to recognize Earth Hour’s global call for action on climate change. Even the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building, the Great Pyramids of Giza and Chicago’s iconic skyline went dark.
Turning out the lights provides an opportunity to get creative, conserve electricity, stem global warming, and make a statement of your own. Here are seven great ways to spend an hour—or more—in the dark. First, grab a few candles (preferably soy).
Get amorous. Spend some quality time with your significant other and enjoy giving each other massages, try something tantric, or make love by candlelight. The added benefit (as if you needed one?): it’s good for you!
Enjoy dinner by candlelight. Prepare the food beforehand, or go with simple, no-cook finger foods. For a special touch, add flowers to the table and serve chocolates for dessert. Yum!
Take a bubble bath. Who doesn’t love a long, luxurious soak in a bath … and what better time to take advantage of some quiet time with candles? Admit it, just thinking about it makes you feel good!
Meditate. An hour of darkness is a great opportunity to tune out the rest of the world and go within. Find a comfortable space in your home and spend some time in meditation—it’s good for you and good for the planet. (Just be careful if you still have candles burning!)
An hour with the lights out also means that it’s a great time to get outside and gaze at the stars. Whether you’re in the city or the country, take a walk outside and see how many constellations you can spot. Maybe you’ll even catch a shooting star!
Take a moonlit walk. Even though the supermoon has already passed, it’s still a great time to get outside in the night air and take the dog for a walk, or even just take yourself for a moonlit stroll.
Prefer a group activity? Gather some friends together and have a party—inside or outside. Create your own cocktails, have some fun with cheese or chocolate fondue (only tealight candles required), break out the board games or musical instruments, or even attempt charades by candlelight. The more creative you get, the better the party! And you might even want to try it again another night—any excuse for a party, right?
Related articles:
How to Choose a Sunscreen
Iron: Dark Chocolate Contains More than Beef?
Light in the Dark Night of the Soul
Originally published on Care2
