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.
What else you I can wish for?
Finland is often called the "Land of a Thousand Lakes" because of the country's vast number of lakes. I never really thought it was anything special until I started traveling more myself.
I'm not going to lie, it feels a bit weird trying to write a post about Finnishness as someone who's from a country with a very similar culture. But there are some things in everyday life I've noticed which feel more Finnish than others.
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.
Some thoughts about Finnishness.
The lakes, the forests and the Finnish nature is a big part of Finnishness.
This blog tells how I, a Finnish person, sees Finnishness and how it shapes the Finnish culture and people.
