Heliophile – Who They Are And What Defines Them

Heliophile - Who They Are And What Defines Them

Table of Contents

Introduction

If you’re here, you’ve just heard the word heliophile and want to know what it means and whether or not you are one. Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered! In this article, we have an in-depth definition of the word heliophile, a description of heliophiles, and some other fun facts related to the topic. Let’s go!

Heliophile: Definition And Meaning

To get straight to the point, a heliophile is a person that is attracted to or loves the sun and sunlight. Heliophiles are attracted to sunlight and voluntarily seek sun exposure because it brings them happiness and motivates them.

Heliophiles are the kind of people that feel their best when the sun is shining. The sun brings out a different kind of energy within them. You could also say that their happiness is very much linked to the sun.

When the sun is bright and shining, heliophiles too are bright and shining. As soon as gray clouds cover the sun, heliophiles feel the shift in the atmosphere and you can pretty much see the shift in their own energy and mood. 

Heliophiles seek exposure to sunlight like a plant’s roots would seek water. These people don’t have to worry about Vitamin D deficiency, that’s for sure! Rising with the morning sun and feeling the warmth on their skin is one of their favorite feelings.

A heliophile is the type of person you would see out on a beach getting their tan set in while others hide under large umbrellas. Bright sunny days are what heliophiles look forward to and the sunlight they get to experience during these days is what they adore.

A heliophile is someone that would absolutely hate having to live in a place like Tromsø, Norway, during something called the Polar Night, where the sun doesn’t rise from November, all the way till January! On the contrary, heliophiles would fall in love with Svalbard, Norway, where they have something called the Midnight Sun.

From around April 20th to August 22nd, the sun does not set in Svalbard, making that period of time any heliophiles dream!

Benefits of getting plenty of sunlight!

The heliophiles are definitely onto something because getting enough sunlight really does have some cool benefits! To name a, exposure to sunlight has been shown to increase a hormone called serotonin, which makes us happy.

Additionally, around 15 minutes of exposure to the sun has been shown to be enough for humans to reap the benefits of Vitamin D for bones. Apart from this, moderate exposure to sunlight could help prevent cancer and treat skin disorders like acne, psoriasis and eczema!

The Source And history of Heliophile

The Source And history of Heliophile

Now that we know what heliophiles are let’s dive into the source and history of the word itself! The word heliophile is made up of the Greek words “helios,” which means related to them or sun and “phile” which comes from “phil” which originates from the Greek word for love. 

Heliophiles in Nature!

We all know that heliophiles are people that are attracted to and love sunlight, but did you know that there are plants and animals that are also heliophiles? Let’s take a look at a few of them!

A very well-known plant with heliophilic characteristics is the beautiful sunflower. It’s literally in its name! Sunflowers are one of those plants that show heliotropic movement. Don’t get confused. That’s a fancy word for saying that sunflowers move according to the sun or where sunlight is.

In the morning, when the sun is in the east, sunflowers too face the east. As the sun rises and moves around to the west, the sunflowers follow suit and face the west. However, sunflowers eventually stop doing this as they mature. Mature sunflowers settle on facing towards the east for the rising sun as they react best to morning sunlight.

Taking a peek into the animal kingdom, we find that plenty of animals share heliophiles’ love for the sun! These animals express their love for the sun by basking in its light all day.

This basking activity is most common in active diurnal reptiles like snakes, lizards and crocodiles. They do this because, unlike mammals, these reptiles are cold-blooded animals, meaning they can’t regulate their blood temperature independently.

Basking in the morning helps cold-blooded animals raise their body temperature to get the energy they need to start their day and go hunting!

The opposites: Pluviophile and Heliophile

A pluviophile is a person who finds joy and pleasure in the rain. They may enjoy the sound of falling rain, the smell of fresh rain, or the peacefulness that comes with a rainy day. They may also find the gloomy atmosphere of a rainy day to be calming and relaxing.

On the other hand, a helliophile is someone who loves the sun and warmth. They may find joy in the bright, warm sun and the feeling of the sun on their skin. They may also enjoy the energy and liveliness that comes with sunny days.

Conclusion

To conclude, heliophiles are people who love and are attracted to the sun. Being a heliophile means that you love the warmth and happiness basking in sunlight gives you. We hope you got the information you needed on heliophiles from this article, cheers!

Moria G.

Moria G.

I live in the middle east, but I always aim to come to Europe during the transition season to hang out in the rain ☔ Since I remember, I have loved rainy days and found excuses to play outside, jumping through the puddles. As a grown-up, I found out I am a classic Pluviophile ;)

I live in the middle east, but I always aim to travel to Europe during the transition seasons to hang out in the rain.

Since I remember, I have loved rainy days and found excuses to play outside, jumping through the puddles. As a grown-up, I found out I am a classic Pluviophile ;)

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