I feel like finnish people seem a little grumpy and distant all the time. And the biggest reason might be the weather, which is mostly grey, dark, wet and cold. Nature looks very dead throughout the long and harsh winter time. Nowadays there isn’t much snow either in the south to brighten the streets. It’s mostly watery and slushy grey snow. And it’s constantly dark too. There are some nice days still when the snow stays on the ground, skies clear up and the temperature stays low. But if one really wants to enjoy the beauties that the finnish winter has to offer, up north is where the temperatures stay low and the views are immaculate always.
However after all the darkness comes the time of light. Beautiful summertime when everything blooms and turns colorful. I think it’s the most magical time of the year here along with autumn when all the leaves turn into bright beautiful colors. You can definitely see how big the uplifting effect the weather has on the people here. The long wait between the dark and light makes the enjoyment feel tenfold.
Sisu is also a thing worth mentioning. Roughly meaning courage and strength. It is not connected to heroism or such, rather to the ability of finnish people to keep pushing forward when the times and situations are tough.
Most important thing in our culture is sauna. A place of relaxation. All worries and stress can be left out for a while. A place where you can enjoy extreme heat while having a conversation with a friend or sit in silence and peace. Silence can feel strange when you come from a culture where quiet moments are seen as something that needs to be filled. In the sauna, though, there is no need to fill the silence. Simply sitting together is enough. Not every moment has to be polluted with words.
We are usually very silent people. It isn’t seen as awkward. Just people who prefer silence and own space over conversations.
Finnishness is an unique thing indeed.
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