The very first thing that comes to mind when I think about Finnish topics and identity is the word “Sisu”. Sisu doesn’t have a straight translation to English, however it can be described as a combination of grit, courage, perseverance and determination, especially in conditions where people are facing hardships. Mika Häkkinen, a former Finnish F1-driver told a good example of what sisu is, in the British TV-show Top Gear in 2008. He tells how climbing a tree and jumping down from it isn’t sisu, but for example in motorsports, it’s the courage to brake late and to go on the throttle early, which gives you better results but might not be the safest option. Sisu is the courage to continue on even when the odds might be against you and this was especially seen during the Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union in 1939-1940. The concept of sisu is truly ingrained in the Finnish society and its people.
Finnish people also have a special relationship with nature. Finland’s land mass is 75% covered in forests, making it the most forested country in Europe. No matter where in Finland you are, there will be more likely than not be a forest somewhere close by. A lot of people own or at least have been to a “mökki”, a Finnish cabin that are often located in forests, where you are far away from the cities’ noise and congestion. Popular Finnish activities also include going to a lake after sauna, go swimming in an “avanto”, which is a hole made in the ice during winters when the lakes are frozen, go gather berries and mushrooms in the forest and the list goes on and on.
The Finnish love for nature can also be seen in Finnish design and architecture, that uses a lot of wood and natural themes/colours. From the famous Marimekko “Unikko” print to Alvar Aalto’s interior design pieces that more often than not made from wood. Even Oodi, the central library in Helsinki, is mostly made from wood originating from Finland’s very own forests.
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