When I think about finnishness, the fist thing to come into my mind is the people. Finnish people are definetly not the happiest people in the world, but at least they are honest. I mean, who would smile all year long when the sun shows up two times a year! Just kidding, but finnish people truly are honest, they mean what they say and they tend to stay loyal to their friends and family.
I think finns are humble, quiet (at least when you don’t know them properly) and not that good at small talk. We have pretty big personal space and kissing and hugging is not usually the best way to greet a finn. Safest way to approach a finnish people is to shake hands and say something about the weather.
But still, I think it’s great to be a finn. I’ve had the priviledge to be born in a beautiful country filled with lakes, forests and nature. Even if you live in the centre of a city, you don’t need to travel for long to be in the middle of a forest. Nature is generally being appreciated in Finland and everyone has the right to use the nature for camping, hiking or pick berries or mushrooms from there.
Even tho we would have the possibility to live in great modern houses etc., we like to have a primitive place to stay during our holidays, a cottage. We enjoy the quietness, outdoor bathrooms, wood heated saunas and carrying water to the house with buckets.
I’m not born in the countryside, but I have always spend my summers and holidays in my grandmoms and granfathers place in the middle of nowhere. I love the athmosphere in there in every season of the year and during big holidays the whole family gathers there to spend time together.
I think almost every finnish people have heard the saying that it is a lottory win to be born in Finland. And I also think that people too often forget that it’s true.
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