Search results for query: traditions
Not everyone celebrates Christmas in July, but they do at the South Pole station, where traditions prevail. Last week started off the festivities with the appearance of a tree and presents in the galley. More activities and decorations are planned for upcoming weeks. The weather was nice and cold as a fitting complement to the […]
For those who spend a year living at the South Pole, they are treated to glorious night skies in the winter season. Last week was a case in point, with displays of bright auroras, lots of stars, and glimpses of the Milky Way. Winterovers also get to experience a multitude of South Pole station traditions […]
At the South Pole, they have their traditions…and their training. Last week, training included station-wide emergency response drills. And training can involve some fun. Lobbing balls around in the gym (or doing anything), though, in full firefighting gear is strenuous and thus good practice. PolarTREC educator Elaine Krebs arrived at the Pole as part of […]
There was lots of activity at the Pole last week. Some IceCube summer crew members are now there working alongside the winterovers. The early part of the week was dedicated to hardware repairs and upgrades at the IceCube Lab. They also packed up cargo, including hard drives destined for long-term storage in Madison, which they […]
Even though they recently had a fancy dinner at the South Pole, last week supplied a reason for another one. It was the celebratory feast for midwinter, which included cocktails and appetizers followed by a several-course meal. Guests were invited to attend dressed for a masquerade ball. The South Pole station has a long history […]
Last week was generally busy at the South Pole. The first LC-130 of the season arrived, staying long enough to offload its contents and then reload with cargo to take back to McMurdo. You can see the IceCube Lab off in the distance below, between the snow tractor and the plane. Last week also happened […]
Thanksgiving is a national holiday in the US and as such is celebrated at the South Pole, too (where traditions abound in celebrating many holidays along with all kinds of other things). For Thanksgiving, festivities always include a nice meal in the galley, with tables decked out in formal dinnerware and decorations around the room, […]
It’s that time of the year when last year’s winterovers are finally relieved of their duties as a new crew arrives at the South Pole. “Winterover” is the name given to the brave individuals who sign up to live and work at an Antarctic field station for a full year—sometimes longer—half of which is spent […]
Finally, midwinter has arrived! Midwinter is widely celebrated across Antarctica, not just at the South Pole, and has many traditions, including exchanging gifts and sharing a lavish meal. This year at the Pole, the theme for the festivities was 1920s prohibition, with dress and decorations to match, and with a “secret” bar—winterover Josh served as […]
Like other places around the world, the South Pole has its traditions for ringing in the new year, but some of them are unique to this locale. For example, each year they hold a ceremony at the geographic pole to set a new pole marker into place. The exact location of the geographic pole shifts […]