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Finnish Cultural Oddities



Finland has different cultural norms than the United States. I knew about the big ones before we moved - Finns are quiet amongst strangers, keep their space, smile less, drink lots and lots of coffee...
 Thats not what this list is about. This is about the little things that slowly popped up. Not big enough for people to widely discuss, but also completely different new for me!

Finnish Dog Culture

I always kind of assumed Finns would be cat people. They fit the stereotypes well enough - solitary, slow to warm up to new people. But no, dogs are everywhere. And I don’t mean people have many dogs - they are literally everywhere. In the mall, in the metro, on a tram.

There are dog parking spots outside of grocery stores, one of the few strict dog free zones. There are little hooks to tie a leash to. And if there aren’t dog parking tie ups (inside a mall for example) people create them.



And the coats! Dogs here have as many clothing options as the children! Especially the small dogs. Rain coats, reflective coats, rain shoes, snow boots. They’re sold in America too, but I’ve never seen so many in use until I lived here!



Winter Lights

It gets dark in the Winter here. In December, the sunrise and sunset both happen while you’re in the office. It could be depressing, but Finns LOVE their decorative lights.

Rather than outdoor lights being something exclusively for Christmas, lights are more of an all winter phenomenon here. There isn’t that judgement of lights being “tacky” after Christmas. Plus, most apartments have some form of an outdoor porch or veranda, so the city is covered in these miniature outdoor displays. In newer regions like mine where glass outer walls are most of the building, it can be nearly wall to wall lights.

The lights generally appear and disappear when the clocks change for daylight saving time. I love it!


Picnic Baskets

Finns are REALLY into picnics. Maybe it’s because it the traditional way of celebrating Vappu or May Day, maybe it’s because there’s so much forest around and foraging is always permitted. Whatever the reason, I have never seen so many proper picnic baskets in my life. And so many options! Collapsible, with a cool section, with a matching blanket...

Americans just have coolers we stick in our car trunks. Much less romantic.



Colors: Black or Bold

Finns have a stereotype for wearing all black and grey. Additionally, the stereotypical aesthetic of wood floors and white walls is also truly pervasive.

But woah. When a Finn uses color they use ALL the color. Marrimekko is a quintessential Finnish brand, known for its bold flower patterns.

Vallila makes interior linens, and feature curtains that are colorful, and often show a forest or city landscape to replace your window view.

Finlayson, another quintessential Finnish brand, uses its iconic elephant in bold patterns.

It’s strange to have such extremes simultaneously in a culture. Or maybe I’m just used to the American style of always having some color, but never too much.

Hiding the faces of children

Finns take the privacy of children very seriously. I think it’s normal in most place now to ask permission before using photos of children, but the cultural acceptance of the photos is striking.

I was surprised when we moved here and I was researching daycares, and every single ad looked like this, with the photos carefully timed to never show a child’s face. 



When we filled out forms at our son’s school, they seemed shocked when I checked “yes” at every possible use of photos.

Meanwhile, American ads focus on the face, showing big smiles, and it is considered a point of pride to be the “face” of an organization. I can think of many activities I did as a child where being allowed to use photos was required if you wanted to join.

Bye bye

In Finnish, Moi is a casual greeting. Moi Moi is a casual goodbye.

Perhaps this is why Finns who speak English heavily favor using “bye-bye” over “goodbye.”

It was a bit strange when I first moved to have very serious conversations, at a doctor or on the phone, only to have it end in a childish “okay bye bye!” I’m used to it now. It’s an endearing little language quirk!

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