Everybody should see the northern lights at least once. Thankfully there are more ways than ever to do so, with unique experiences in Iceland, Greenland, Lapland and Norway

The indigenous people of the Arctic Circle had some interesting ideas about what sparked the northern lights. In Finland, they attributed the aerial light show to a magical fox who sprayed snow into the sky with his tail. The Sámi people, from what is now Lapland, believed the lights were the souls of the departed, while Labrador Inuits believed they were a result of the dead playing football with a walrus skull in the sky. The Norwegians, on the other hand, thought that the aurora borealis was caused by the spirits of old maids dancing in the heavens-a belief their Viking descendants took with them to Scotland when they settled there.

Wherever and whenever they occur, the northern lights always inspire awe in the human witnesses below. Even today, when we know what causes them (charged particles from the sun striking atoms in our atmosphere), seeing the night sky come to life with shimmering sheets of celestial fire still retains much of the mystery that enthralled our ancestors.

If you’re planning an aurora-seeking adventure of your own, Regent Holidays’ Arctic specialists can help you create a bespoke itinerary to Iceland, Greenland, Lapland or Norway. Each destination has its own fascinating culture to explore and a very special way to see the lights.