Swedish city asks residents to say 'hello' to each other

A city in northern Sweden is encouraging its residents to say hello to each other.

The city, Luleå, is home to about 80,000 people and is located so far north that the people living there see very little sunlight during winter months.

It has begun a campaign to help lift the mood of residents, especially those who may feel lonely.

"Saying hello makes people comfortable and feel safe, it's something we can all do to create a more pleasant Lulea," the town wrote on social media. "Your hello can make a difference."

The "Säg hej" campaign, meaning "say hello" in Swedish, started on 31 October - which as well as being Halloween, was "neighbour's day" in Sweden.

A film accompanying the campaign, encouraging people to greet passers by has been shown in schools, on buses, and in public places.

The film shows a man walking past a woman resting on a park bench and saying "hej", the woman, who does not respond, later smiles broadly.

It then shows that same woman saying "hej" to an old woman, who also doesn't react at first but then smiles afterwards.

The city of Luleå is one of the biggest in northern Sweden. But the people living there have a reputation for being quite reserved and even unsociable at times.

There are only three hours of sunlight during the winter, making face-to-face conversations in the city less common.

Locals speak so little to each other the word "yes" has been replaced with a sharp intake of breath, instead.

Asa Koski a social media expert working on the campaign said: "Here it's the opposite of Spain, where you are outside a lot, you talk to people, you sit on benches, you have a collective life outside."