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.
Sauna and the countryside: two pillars of Finnish culture
When I think about what I love most about Finland, a few key elements come to mind: the quiet independence of the people, the beauty of our distinct seasons, and the rich cultural traditions that make life here so special.
Finnishness is a sum of many great and unique elements that sets us apart from other nations and their people. In my blog post I will open a few of the elements which I believe are cornerstones of Finnishness.
To many people Finns might first seem grumpy and pessimistic. But honestly, I think us Finns are more like hobbits from the Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. We value our food, friends and family, we like a good party, and most of us prefer a more simplistic lifestyle. But what makes our Finnish way of life unique?
Finns value their personal space and love spending time in nature, often retreating to quiet lakeside cottages for activities like fishing. They prefer simplicity in life and food, embracing natural ingredients and a peaceful lifestyle. This connection to nature and simplicity contributes to Finland's reputation as the happiest country in the world.
People usually associate Finnishness with rigidity, reservedness and aloofness - but that's not the whole truth, because even though many Finnish people need their own personal space, they can also be very helpful even to strangers. That can be seen for example in everyday life or in social media platforms, when people ask and receive help from strangers.
Finnishness is a multifaceted experience, quality and frankly way of life that every person has their own opinion about. These are some elements of Finnishness that I've come across as a Finn who has lived her whole life in Finland... Surprising right?
Finnishness is a pretty broad concept by itself. I believe that everyone has their own perception of it, and that there is no simple way to explain it without experiencing it. However, after travelling around the world a lot and living in other countries like China, I've had to try to explain Finnishness a lot of times. The following will be my explanation on the key things of Finnishness that I always mention when someone asks about it.
There are certainly many ways of presenting Finland and its traits. In a nutshell, Finnishness is above all intertwined with abundant and internationally renowned nature, the unwavering honesty of the people and a well-functioning and stable social security and education system.
What Finnishness mean to me.
What comes to mind when I wonder what Finnishness entails
In this blog post I will share some thoughts of Finnishness. When I think about Finland what comes to my mind are the beautiful nature with all four seasons, the sauna and the people with their attitude and the sense of humour. Those are things that I like most in Finland.
My thoughts about Finland and Finnishness.
Some thoughts about finnishness, finnish nature and sauna
In this post you can find favorite spots in Finland and what Finnishness is to me.
In this blog post, I want to talk about why Finland is so unique to me. It's my home, and there are certain things about Finnish life that stand out. I will explore the elements that define Finnishness in my opinion.
Finnish sauna culture and all it's traditions are very unique. In the past people have used saunas as treatments to diseases, given birth in them and even dried grain in the sauna. Back in the day people believed that in every sauna, there lived a sauna elf or spirit. Although transformed more into modern time saunas still hold some of the old times spirituality and superstitions.
