9 MORE facts about Finland and Finns that just make sense
- lottemikeblog
- Dec 19, 2020
- 5 min read
1. Finnish chocolates and sweets are THE BEST.
I may sound a bit exaggerated, but for real, candies, chocolate and sweets are just so good! And, of course, I have to mention the iconic salmiakki (salted liquorice); Finns just go crazy for it (and after one year around here I do go crazy, too). You can find salmiakki in so many different forms, varieties and combinations: my favourite so far is salmiakki ice cream! And speaking of chocolate, my favourite brand is Brunberg: they are based in Porvoo and their products are just addicting! Fun fact: after visiting Porvoo with my family, half of my parents’ suitcase was literally filled with Brunberg chocolate – and whenever I go visit them, I MUST bring a bit of Brunberg with me!
2. Sauna is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site!
This is very fresh news! Just last Thursday (the 17th), UNESCO included Finnish Sauna in the World Intangible Heritage list. "Traditionally, the sauna has been considered as a sacred space – a 'church of nature'. At the heart of the experience lies löyly, the spirit or steam released by casting water onto a stack of heated stones," the UN said in a statement. Indeed, Finnish Sauna is more than a place to bathe and stay healthy, it’s a whole experience and, I would say, a state of mind.
Fun fact: in November 2019, my University broke the Guinness World Record for the largest number of nationalities altogether in a sauna: 101!
3. The pizza dispute with Italy (with a plot twist)
This is one of the funniest stories I’ve ever heard, and Finns are just so proud about it.
In 2005, former PM of Italy Silvio Berlusconi, after a diplomatic visit in Finland, complained about Finnish food, stating that he had to “endure” with people eating marinated reindeer. This minor diplomatic incident had a huge echo in Finland, so that the Finnish pizza chain Kotipizza created a pizza with marinated reindeer! And they called it Pizza Berlusconi 😊
But there’s more: in 2008, with Pizza Berlsuconi, Kotipizza won a world pizza championship – beating Italians!
Personally, while in Italy I have NEVER heard of this story. Maybe Italians realized it was better to forget about it?
4. Gender equality may not seem a big deal because it’s a consolidated reality.
This is one of the things I appreciate the most about Finland. Finnish society is one of the most equal in the world, and gender inequalities are almost non-existent. When speaking of inclusivity, mutual respect is a real thing: sexist comments and behaviours are not tolerated at all. As it should be in every country in the world.
Finland is a pioneer in gender equality; for instance, it has been the first country to give full political rights to women in 1906. For this reason, we can speak about a steady reality.
I remember when, last year, Sanna Marin’s government cabinet has been nominated, in Italy medias and newspapers were labeling this as a huge turning point in politics, and the news had a big echo all over the world. However, for Finland it was not a turning point, it was just the reality.
Isn’it cool?
5. Apparently, Finland is well hidden in maps (?).
Okay, dear Finn friends, please forgive me for this one.
Many of you may have heard about the crazy conspiracy theory about the non-existence of Finland. Basically some random conspirators elaborated this idea: between Sweden and the former USSR there’s a big sea with a lot of fish, and soviets, in order to keep the fishing rights for themselves, invented Finland.
Well, I don’t think I have lived in a sort of hallucination for a whole year, so I can say I’m pretty sure Finland exists.
HOWEVER.
Before leaving Italy, you guys can’t even imagine the mess around me saying “I’m moving to Finland”.
Here is a couple questions I’ve been asked: “Wow, so you’re moving outside of Europe!” “Is Finland an actual country?” “Is it North Pole or something? Like next to Greenland, right?”
GUYS, I’M NOT KIDDING.
They don’t know how much they’re missing, right?
6. Public affection is not a thing, at all.
We said before that Finns enjoy being alone and love silence. Well, for the same reason, kisses and hugs are not a thing in Finland. Actually, sometimes not even handshakes! This may seem very weird to a southern European like me, and it was indeed: especially during the first weeks, I was missing a lot this whole public affection. I can say that I went from one extreme to another, from too much public affection to a total zero. However, I realized very soon that Finns, with their hearts of gold, don’t need hugs and kisses to demonstrate their friendship: they can surprise you in many other ways!
7. Finns go crazy for one-day shopping trips to Estonia.
One of the first things a foreigner would notice when in Finland are the very high prices for living. For this reason, a lot of Finns like to have a shopping day trip to Estonia. In just 2 hours by ferry from Helsinki, you get to Tallinn, usually for very good prices, and once you get off the boat, you find a huuuuge number of shops, probably with more Finnish customers than Estonians 😊. Usually Finns buy products which are way overpriced in Finland, such as alcohol and cigarettes. It’s very common to see Finns leaving Helsinki in the morning with empty suitcases and coming back in the evening full of shopping bags!
Apart from this whole shopping thing, Tallinn is a lovely city and it’s definitely worth a visit! I really hope to go back to Estonia soon!
8. Did they tell you Finland is a dark country?...
…well, the sky and the weather are dark for many, too many months a year.
However, if you walk through Helsinki, you will notice so many bright and colorful buildings, which bring a spark of joy in the winter darkness!
One of my favourite places in Helsinki, indeed, is the neighborhood of Ullanlinna: a very lovely place, buildings are painted in many different colors; a walk around there is just so satisfying!
9. Now you can buy airplane food on the supermarket next door.
Due to the current crisis, Finnish airline Finnair had to ground many of their planes.
However, to face this difficult situation, Finnair had a clever idea: they are now selling some of their signature dishes in many supermarkets around Finland. Cool idea, especially for an aviation enthusiast like me! They also sell their iconic blueberry juice, and it’s SOOOO good. I don’t know if it’s because of some kind of magic, but literally one of the best juices I have had!
A couple days ago, being so curious about this whole new concept, I went to buy a Finnair dish: I had reindeer meatballs with berry sauce and mashed potatoes. That was excellent! And it made me realize I miss flying so much ☹
There are those of us who like to venture to the unexplored, those of us who go out there with a sense of wonder, to see the beauty into the strange and the unknown.
-Mike
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