Finnish are often described quiet and grumpy. It’s probably just because we behave a bit differently in social situations. We don’t have a small talk culture. If you ask a Finnish person how they are doing they will explain you what is actually going on in their life at the moment. In my experience Finnish are very friendly and respectful to others, they just need some time to warm up.
Sauna
Finnish love their sauna. It’s also a good way to explain the two sides of being a Finnish person. Sometimes you go there to have some peace and quiet and relax and other times you go in with a group of friends or strangers and socialize with people. It’s a part of your day to day life but it’s also an important part of any celebration like Christmas or Midsummer fest. One thing that seems to be a shock to people from other countries is that we go in naked, but to Finnish it’s completely normal. Usually Finnish respect others personal space and don’t go too near to others. However when you go to sauna suddenly everything changes and you find yourself sitting next to a stranger chatting about life.
Endless winter and summer that is too short
I love Finnish summers and I love our white winters (when they are in fact white). But I hate the darkness. It changes everything. During the winters you’re more tired and getting things done is way harder. You could sleep for the hole day. Winter however is really beautiful and when there is snow it isn’t as dark. The best thing to do during winter is going ice skating on a frozen lake or on an ice rink or skiing and then go to a hot sauna after.
During the summers when the light never goes away you feel super energetic and feel like you can do anything. People are happier during the summer. It’s easier to get to know new persons during the summer. But of course part of it is explained by the fact that you are just able to see more people outside because everyone is not inside hiding from the cold. One thing especially that I love about the summers are the endless amounts of festivals going on everywhere in Finland. I feel like my city alone has some festival going on every week of the summer. One festival especially is interesting. The midnight sun film festival that happens in the north of Finland is something quite unique. It’s in the middle of nowhere in a small village. The films are going on 24 hours a day and the sun doesn’t go down for the hole festival. Nothing else happens in the village during the hole year but for one week of June it’s filled with life.
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