It’s Dark at Five
Dec 5, 2025
Author: Clayton Forsythe
Editor: Maisie Page
It’s dark at five o’clock, and every year I hear the observation all around me – my roommates, people on the sidewalk – every short interaction that somehow circles back to “wow, I can’t believe it’s dark already.” The time change becomes a kind of winter script, a line everyone uses, as if saying it out loud might bring back daylight. But beneath all this familiar chatter, I’ve begun to view the time change in a new light.
When the days are short and the sky grows darker, the world is inviting us to slow down. We now have a natural deceleration built into our days that almost forces us to pause when, oftentimes, we might have forgotten to take that pause on our own. When the sun begins to set, we begin to move differently. The atmosphere around us gives us the opportunity to change our pace. Now, we can continue our day against the backdrop of a world that offers a new kind of calm. As the light fades at five o’clock, the sharpness of the day softens and suddenly everything around us feels quieter.
I’ve now learned to pay attention to the details that only appear when the world goes dim early. I look out my window to see the light glowing from my neighbors’ windows, or the holiday lights strung across their porch. A glance into these windows at five o’clock is like seeing a small piece of their lives – a glimpse of how they, too, slow down. I light my favorite candle and heat a cup of tea, small rituals that I can appreciate as the night settles in. The warm air rising from my mug and the soft glow of my lamps as I draw the curtains make it feel like my interior world is beginning and the exterior one is fading away. This early darkness does not just change the sky, it allows the familiar objects around us to come alive, all while encouraging us to unwind.
So, while the wintertime change may come as a complaint for some, I encourage you to find the gentle reminder lying within the season. Darkness at five does not end our days, it allows our lives to fold inward for a moment. It allows us to light the candles, draw the curtains, and appreciate the calm and serenity in slowing down.
