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.
A bit about the luxury of free space we have in Finland, it's clean nature, waters and reliability.
Being Finnish for me is not just about where I come from, but about the feelings and values I experience in everyday life.
To me, Finnishness is about enjoying nature and its offerings
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.
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.
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.
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.
I step out of the sauna. I take my towel and a bottle of beer. Walking down the stairs, I feel how the soft wind sweeps my face. I look at the darkening sky and hear some lonely blackbird whispering. Time stands still and I know I’m safe here. For me, finnishness is somehow a mix of a nature, peace and presence.
Sauna and the countryside: two pillars of Finnish culture
