People Of Finland – Introducing The #1 Happiest Country

The people of Finland are open, sincere, and enthusiastic, although they may tell you the opposite.

Finns are known for their taciturn, thoughtful, and calm behavior. They are quiet, good at thinking, brave, hardworking, cynical, and to some people, they seem stubborn and indifferent. They are not interested in speaking unless they have important things to say. There is a saying that when Finns (the people of Finland) say something, they mean it.

Finland, for the fourth time, is known for being the happiest country globally, with the best education system, and the cleanest air in the world. Finland is famous for its sauna, reindeer, Santa Claus Village, and Nokia.

 

Official Languages Of Finland

There are two national languages of Finland, Finnish and Swedish, and they are officially bilingual. Nearly nine-tenths of the population speak Finnish; it is an essential nationalist feature, despite its strong regional dialects. The Swedish-speaking population is mainly distributed in the coastal areas of the west, southwest, and south and the Aland Islands (Swedish is the only official language).

A small number of Finns also speak Russian and Estonian, and a minimal number of people in the northernmost part of Finland also speak Sami. Of the 11 Sami languages, three languages are used in Finland: Northern Sami (widely spoken), Inari Sami (only used in Finland), and Skolt Sami.

 

What Finns Love? (The Happiest Country)

• Finns love nature and take great steps to guard their environment; this makes Finland (the happiest country) one of the cleanest countries in the world.
• Finns love sports activities such as ice hockey, hiking, camping, hunting, skiing, golf, sailing, and swimming. These are all popular activities.
• In addition, Finns love to pick mushrooms and wild berries in the forest.
• In summer, Finns love to spend most of their holidays with their family in the cottage.
• Sports are very popular in Finland, especially football, ice hockey, rally racing, and ski jumping.

Finnish Culture

Finland (the happiest country) is not part of Scandinavia but part of the larger Nordic culture. Norway, Sweden, and Denmark share a common Scandinavian root language and a common Viking history based on Nordic and the North Sea traditions related to Britain and Germany. In contrast, Finland shares its linguistic roots with Hungarians and Estonians. When Scandinavians emerged from Northern Europe, Finns (the people of Finland) emigrated from the East.

Finns and neighboring Scandinavian countries now have more cultural characteristics than their eastern neighbors despite their unique roots. For example, Finns have an unshakable faith in the social welfare system.

The rugged terrain and climate and its historical struggle with its domineering eastern and western neighbors helped shape the unique Finnish culture. It is characterized by a strong belief in the ideals of flexible, intelligent, and creative people, able to work under challenging situations. This concept is called sisu, and it refers to strength, durability, and pursuance.

The Finnish Sauna

The Finnish sauna plays a vital role in both business and social interaction and has its agreement. Being invited to the sauna should be regarded as an honor and enjoyment. Refusal is considered impolite unless there is a good reason (i.e., a health prohibition).

This experience is expected to be peaceful and, in most cases, quiet. Although most Finns go naked in the sauna, they fully understand those who like to wear towels or swimsuits. Most saunas (except inside the home) are separated by gender. If there is only one sauna and the people are not covered, usually women go in first, and after waiting, men enter the sauna.

The sauna experience may also include swimming in the lake or rolling in the snow. Once everyone has left the sauna, drinks are usually provided to help everyone rehydrate, with a choice of beer or non-alcoholic beverages.

Tips about Cultural Finnish Society

It is a culture that makes a place unique. When we are talking about Finland, Finnish society, and Finns, what are the Finns like?

Without a specific order and varying degrees of usefulness, I summarized my observations into a list of 8 cultural facts about Finnish society.

1. The Finns (the people of Finland) are very punctual. If you want to meet a Finn, please be there on time.
2. Bring your drinks to the party. “Bring your own drink” is another Finnish society concept, which popular in Finland.
3. A gift for Finns? If you don’t know Finns well, coffee-related gifts are always a reliable choice. Bring local sweets, biscuits, or coffee flavors.
4. Avoid talk related to money. Money-related questions are private in Finland.
5. Finnish conversation process. Finnish communication methods allow for multiple pauses in the conversation.
6. Personal space in Finland. People in the happiest country in the world naturally distance themselves from others, especially those they don’t know.
7. Not much talk. If someone is your neighbor in Finland, it is enough to say hello and continue your way (also very polite).
8. Help yourself. You don’t have to wait for the host to offer you anything; fill up your plate at any time.

 

Know More About Finland And The People Of Finland!

Since culture is the root of Finnish society, you must greet them often. If you are looking for a suitable platform to learn basic expressions such as “Hello” in Finnish and “Thank you” in Finnish, please install the Ling App or SimplyLearn by Simya Solutions now.

If you have any questions about learning Finnish or any other language, you can read our blog “Frequently Asked Questions” with just one click. So, join us and speak the Finnish language like a native. good day (in Finnish: Hyvää päivää)!