I have two nationalities: Finnish and English. I have lived in Finland for almost two decades, which is most of my life, yet I still feel like my sense of Finnishness has somehow been warped. What makes me feel Finnish? Is it the language, my understanding of the culture? Or is it simply the luck of being born half Finnish from the get-go? What is Finnishness?
The bond between Finland and nature is very special. It is something every child in Finland will understand and will continue to appreciate it through their lifetime.
Finnishness is a feeling you can’t fully translate, you have to experience it. It’s the quiet of endless forests, the warmth of a summer sauna, the deep stillness of winter nights and the stubborn resilience we call sisu. It’s a culture built on calm, structure and small everyday rituals that make life feel steady. In this blog post, I’ll share what Finnishness means to me: the nature, the seasons, the silence and the strength that shape our identity.
It took me a while to think what to summary about Finnishness, because there are so many things to tell about. However, here are couple of things I would like to mention about the subject:
Living in Finland for two years has changed the way I see Finnish people and their culture. In this post, I will share my reflections on what Finnishness means to me.
Sunday morning walk to work or an evening hike in the north - empty and quiet. Outside of rush seasons and rush hours Finland is quiet everywhere from big cities to the nature. It's often completely quiet even with people around. This is the stereotype of the Finland and it is pretty accurate. But there is more than the silence and emptiness and it's kindness.
Before coming to Finland, I had heard that Finnish people are quiet, honest, and highly organized. However, after living and working here, I started to understand that these characteristics are deeply connected to their culture, education, and social system. In this post, I would like to share my personal experiences and observations about three important aspects of Finnish culture: honesty and trust, silence and communication style, and work-life balance.
Moving to Finland as an international student two and a half years back, I expected to notice the cold weather and dark winters. Instead, the biggest change I felt was something I had quietly needed for a long time: silence and personal space. I come from a culture where life is always loud. People talk over each other, public places are full of noise, and personal space is small. Community is strong, and being close to others is a sign of warmth and connection. I value that part of my background, but as an introverted person, I often felt overwhelmed. It was hard to find time to breathe, think, or be alone without seeming distant. Living in Finland has been very different. Here, silence is not awkward it’s natural. On buses, in classrooms, and even among friends, people are comfortable with quiet moments. No one feels pressure to fill every pause with small talk. At first, this felt unusual. Now, it feels peaceful. Personal space is also deeply respected. Standing a little farther apart and speaking more softly feels like a form of everyday kindness. Finnish culture hasn’t made me reject where I come from instead, it has helped me understand myself better and feel that my need for quiet is something to respect, not fix.
What else you I can wish for?
Let's tackle the positive aspects of Finland that make me feel glad I live here.
Sometimes the things we look for are closer than we think.
The four seasons of Finland, a blessing or a curse? #Finland #fourseasons #climatechange
Finns are often described as people who value silence and personal space more than many other cultures. But is this really true, and what does it tell us about Finnishness?
Being Finnish for me is not just about where I come from, but about the feelings and values I experience in everyday life.
Finnishness in Me. That is a difficult topic to answer at first, I even had to rant to my friend about it before I was found my answer to the question. In the end the answer was right in front of me.
In my eyes Finland is all about perseverance, determination, peace and quiet.
What Finnishness Means to Me To me, Finnishness is defined by dark days and sunny nights, solitude and community, and, of course, salmiakki.
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.
Finnish culture is often described through its simplicity, resilience, and deep connection with nature. When I came to experience it myself 3 years ago, I created my own understanding of what it means to be Finnish, with sauna, silence, and the Finnish concept of sisu on the forefront.
