Dusking: The Dutch Twilight Ritual Helping People Slow Down

Revived by a Dutch writer, the simple ritual of “dusking” – quietly watching the transition from day to night – is spreading beyond the Netherlands as a way to reconnect with the natural world.

Sitting cocooned under a thick blanket in a plant-filled orangery, I look through its large glass windows onto the 900-year-old stone walls of Helmsley Castle in North Yorkshire. I’m in a room full of people, yet a gentle stillness hangs in the air. Outside the sun is setting. Inside we are doing… absolutely nothing.

Or at least it looks that way. What we are actually experiencing – as a soft voice in the background reminds us – is the Dutch ritual of dusking.

“Noticing twilight requires a persistent kind of attention. It’s like a shy, rare animal. You have to take your time. Stay focused,” the speaker instructs. “The day lingers like a drunken guest that doesn’t want to leave the party. But slowly, slowly it is leaving. Just look up. There. See?”