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My Experiences of Finnishness

Posts from 2025

Use SISU for good

SISU. Such a strong and weird word to be honest and also hard to explain to anyone outside Finland. Writing about Finland and Finnishness does not come easy for me. As a kid and teenager I felt very mixed towards Finland, always dreaming of life elsewhere and feeling like I’m not fitting in. Salmiakki was probably the only thing I liked about Finland back then. But during the years my love and proudness of Finland has increased. I have really learned to love things like sauna, winter, birch trees, Moomins, and cinnamon buns. But that is not everything about Finnishness for me. The most important thing has been to find out what SISU means for me. 

Finnishness: Peace, space, and a cup of coffee

For me, Finnishness is peace, silence, and contentment. It’s a long weekend at the cottage, a sauna, morning swims in the misty lake, a cup of Juhla Mokka from a blue-and-white Marimekko mug, a long stare out of the window into the emptiness and the freedom of not having to fill the silence with unnecessary words. It’s also so much more.

What Finnishness means to me - Forests, nature trails and karelian pies

When I first read the prompt for this blog I found it hard to describe what Finnishness means to me. Mostly because it’s something I don’t really think about. Feeling Finnish or thinking about Finnishness is mostly something that slowly sneaks up on me while I am far from home. It can manifest itself in missing a certain type of bread, craving a certain candy or simply missing the quietness of everyday life.

Exploring Finnishness: A Personal Reflection on Finnish Culture

Living abroad twice has given me a new appreciation for the peace and safety that Finland offers. Although I’ve had the opportunity to experience different cultures, there’s something truly unique about the sense of security and tranquility that defines life in Finland. It’s hard to put into words, but it's the peace in our daily lives, the clean air, the open spaces, and knowing that my whole family is here with me. Finland is more than just a place, it’s where I feel truly at home.

Finnishness - my experience

Finnishness to me is firstly about feeling safe and being grateful about living in such a beautiful country.

Finnishness - a perspective of a double nationalitee

I am 29 year old woman, who has moved to Finland at 6 years old. My first nationality thus is Hungarian. I identify as a hungarian as well as a finnish person. It has been a priviledge to learn two languages when growning up. Finland is a very dear country for me and I consider it to be one of my two homes.

Finnish culture for me

Finnishness for me These are the 3 things that first came to my mind when asked “what is Finnishness” they may not be the best description of our culture but what I have learned to appreciate.

Opposites attract

Finnishness is rooted in opposite ends of the spectrum for me - it's minus 20 degrees outside, so we heat up the sauna so it can be 80 degrees; in the summer days don't end and in the winters they don't start and even the nature around us is either barren or incredibly alive.

Dark days, sauna and salmiakki

What Finnishness Means to Me To me, Finnishness is defined by dark days and sunny nights, solitude and community, and, of course, salmiakki.

Finnishness for me

Finnishness, to me, means many things, but what I love most is the stillness. There’s something magical about experiencing Finnish summers, hearing birds chirping outside your window, or the quiet of winter when people stay indoors, enjoying their favorite podcasts. It’s in the laughter shared with friends, sipping coffee while soaking up the sun. For me, Finnishness is about embracing life’s little moments, even when the sun doesn’t shine as brightly.

Summer and winter

Finnishness for me is sun never setting in summer and sun never showing in winter.