The quiet is a very Finnish element. It is described as a luxurious, desired thing. A dream holiday is a remote cabin in the woods by a lake. When I think of summer, I think of those quiet moments just sitting on a pier, looking out to the lake, just listening to the sounds of nature. Little bubbles swan mussels send to the surface and splashes fishes make jumping from the water. Flap of wings and call-out sounds birds make. The little buzzing sound of the dragonfly flying past you. The sound of waves splashing against the pier. And your own breath. When it is truly quiet, you can hear your breath and heartbeat.
Year-round we seek silence from the forest and in nature in general. Since everyone has the right to roam freely any forest, for me, as it is for many others, favorite pastime is going on walks, both on trails or just wandering through the woods. As a mushroom picker, I usually spend the autumn wandering the woods, leaving trails to be walked on during the other seasons of the year.
Seasonal changes in nature, especially changes in light are clear indications of the time of year in Finland. The huge amount of light in the summer, the fading light in the autumn, the darkness of the winter and the light creeping back in the spring. The light in different season even feels different on your skin. Wintersun does not warm you the same as spring- or summersun.
Our general mood and tendencies to keep to ourselves also seem to be somehow connected to the amount of light we have during the day. In the summertime people are smiling more, more relaxed in general and seek company of others. In the winter we transform into “blanketmummies” who interact with others the bare minimum and nothing more. It is not meant to be rude to anyone; it is just the way we are. And it is accepted by everyone. I believe this is a big part of Finnishness. We always have another season to look forward to, with differing expectations on how to use our free time. In my opinion, that is the reason why Finns enjoy the summer so much. We charge our social batteries during the winter and when the summer comes, we are ready to socialize more, for a while.
Comments