The stereotypical Finnish is not something very dear to me. I really am not fond of the term "suomalainen sisu" or other generic things like sausage, beer and sauna related culture. Don't get me wrong, I love sauna (especially the wood-burning ones) and ice hockey too.
By keeping the safe distance from everyone, can all find the piece as the naturally built wheel in the ecosystem never stops.
When I need to describe a Finnish person, which is quite common, (we are not very well known and tend to be mixed with Swedish people or other Northen folk), first adjective that comes to my mind is solitarity.
What is Finnishness all about? Endless nature, extreme weather, perseverance, unique language...
When I thought what the concept of Finnishness means to me, I remembered a Finnish food. Some traditional Finnish food might seem and taste very odd to foreigners. For example, salmiakki is a very popular finnish candy and Finns loves it. I love salmiakki also. However, social media is full of videos when people all around the world tastes salmiakki and most of them don’t like it. I remember when I was in elementary school and we had a abroad student in our house. In breakfast table we offered for her traditional Finnish foods like ruisleipä, karjalanpiirakka and mämmi. Often when exhange students come in Finland, they need to taste these traditional finnish food, which I now will introduce.
In Finland, silence is not necessarily uncomfortable; it can be a sign of comfort and respect toward others' time. Finnish small talk is a doorway to the genuine and authentic people.
When I reflect on what Finnishness means to me, I am reminded of the vibrant threads that weave together our cultural identity. Finland is a nation known for its unique touchpoints that make us stand out in the global tapestry of cultures. From our love for coffee to our passion for heavy metal music, from our dedication to cleanliness to our deep connection with nature, and from our innate kindness to our humble nature, Finnishness encompasses it all.
In this blog post I ponder Finnishness from the perspective of its social dynamics and the contrast between its modesty and appeal. I address the question of why Finns keep coming back to Finland from travelling or living abroad.
What Finnishness means to me
In this post I will reflect my most important thing in Finnishness and Finland
