![Marker and flags at ceremonial South Pole shown in foreground, bright green auroras in background, low in dark night sky.](https://res.cloudinary.com/icecube/images/w_1110,h_739,c_scale/q_auto/v1687964698/2023week25_ceremonial-pole-aurora/2023week25_ceremonial-pole-aurora.jpg?_i=AA)
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 and reasons to celebrate. High up on that list is midwinter, which they observed last week with the long-established midwinter dinner. The station galley is shown below all decked out for the celebratory meal.
![South Pole station galley with formal table settings for the midwinter meal.](https://res.cloudinary.com/icecube/images/w_1110,h_835,c_scale/q_auto/v1687964708/2023week25_midwinter-dinner_Michelle/2023week25_midwinter-dinner_Michelle.jpg?_i=AA)
![The IceCube Lab in winter, snowdrift in front, auroras overhead.](https://res.cloudinary.com/icecube/images/w_1110,h_739,c_scale/q_auto/v1687964723/2023week25_ICL-aurora_reduced/2023week25_ICL-aurora_reduced.jpg?_i=AA)
![View looking up at tall frosty radio antenna, pointing toward Milky Way overhead.](https://res.cloudinary.com/icecube/images/w_1110,h_1668,c_scale/q_auto/v1687964734/2023week25_radio-antenna_reduced/2023week25_radio-antenna_reduced.jpg?_i=AA)