Finnish culture is often associated with nature, cold winters and sauna. However, Finnishness is much more than that. It includes traditions, cultural values and everyday habits that shape the Finnish lifestyle. In this post I will introduce some key aspects of Finnish culture and explain what they tell about Finnishness.
I was born in Tallinn, Estonia, and moved to a small town in Finland when I was five years old. Because of this, Finnishness is something I grew into slowly, often without noticing. At the same time, my Eastern European background has always given me a slightly different angle on Finnish culture.
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.
Sometimes the things we look for are closer than we think.
The four seasons of Finland, a blessing or a curse? #Finland #fourseasons #climatechange
When I think about Finnishness, I see values and habits that are completely different from my own. Finland gave me calmness for a while, but at the same time, I felt like I was living in a world that didn’t belong to me.
What does it mean to be Finnish? For me, Finnishness is a unique mix of silence, nature, sauna, honesty, and perseverance. These small but powerful aspects shape how we live, think, and interact with the world.
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.
A lot of time Finnish people are characterized as quiet and reserved. When living abroad I concluded that the Finnish people may say even more than some other cultures ever dare to.
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.
Could I ever express myself in the same way in other languages than Finnish - my native language?
In my eyes Finland is all about perseverance, determination, peace and quiet.
I never planned to move to Finland. But somehow, life brought me here—and in doing so, it introduced me to a way of living and thinking that reshaped who I am.
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.
Finnishness is a unique blend of simplicity, resilience, and a profound connection to nature. Living in Finland has offered me a glimpse into a culture that values silence as much as it values honesty, and where even the smallest traditions carry deep meaning. Join me as I reflect on my experiences and observations about what makes Finnishness so remarkable.
Everyone that visits Finland leaves with a piece of the country still within them, so even as a foreigner you can have Finnishness in you.
My name is Miranda and I’m a Finland-Swede. Fennoswede, is another word for it, and it simply means the people in Finland who speak Swedish. And I am one of them. In this blogpost I will dive in deeper into what being a Finland Swede means to me.
