For my whole life I´ve lived in Finland. Main things that often come up are Finnish character traits. Finnish people can be described as helpful and cheerful but on the surface they are more inward and non-talkative. This also differs in different cities of Finland. In countrys capital Helsinki people are more multi-cultural and more loud as there are more people than in other cities. It is a common joke that people from Helsinki are arrogant and loud and you can immediately notice a person from Helsinki if you can find one in other city. People in countyside are more conservative and steep maybe because of the physical hard work.
Main thing in Finnish culture is sauna which is a hot and moist room where heat often climbs up to even 100 degrees celsius. To sauna people go together or alone and things about everyday life is discussed there. Swimming and ice swimming is often linked to sauna as people go there to cool down before they go back to the sauna´s heat. After sauna it is common to eat something salty like sausage as high temperatures make people lose minerals through sweating. Also alcohol is common drink before, during and after sauna but that is often during weekends.
Finnish cuisine consists of karelian pie which is made out of rye and rice. Common foods are also meats like beef, pork and chicken. In the north common meat is reindeer meat which people grow through animal husbandry. Fish is also eaten in Finland and as a child many Finnish people do it with parents or grandparents. Older generation teaches young to fish and gut the fish.
Finnish culture is also much more and it is often neglected how rich and versatile it is in reality. Every time I return from other country back to Finland I realize how lucky I am to be born in Finland.
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