Finnishness is difficult to define or describe in words because Finnishness is relative and personal to everyone. Personally, I feel Finnishness is best described by cultural customs such as sauna, ice hockey, and winter melancholy. Although Finnish characteristics may seem icy, cold, and distant to an outsider, it is only an outer shell. At the core of Finnishness lies a warm, loving, and caring core.
In summary, what Finnish means to me is living with family and friends in a safe environment, whether it’s under the beauty of nature and stars in the countryside or under the street lamps big city. Finnishness is being surrounded by beautiful culture, where you can enjoy nordic food such as rye bread and salmiakki and sometimes celebrate the lions’ gold and yell ”TORILLE”. Finnishness is enjoying a sauna in a Finnish cottage next to a lake during midsummer and making a snow angel in the winter frosts under -40 celsius.
This is just a scratch on the surface when it comes to describing Finnishness in my opinion, but let it be enough for this time, because being Finnish also includes keeping things short and leaving out unnecessary daily ramblings.
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