Moi!
Finland’s customs and manners are European, with only a few national variations. Therefore, chances of committing social gaffes or breaches of etiquette are low. In the following, we got 10 Facts and a little introduction to the Finnish language to get to know the overall culture.
10 Facts about Finland
- One in four Finns owns a mökki, a holiday cabin.
- Having a sauna is something completely common to Finns.
- Finns drink coffee anywhere and everywhere. They drink more coffee per person than anywhere else in the world.
- The home is, to a great extent, the focus of social life in Finland. It is less common to meet over a meal in a restaurant.
- Equality between the sexes in Finland is advanced. Thre is a relatively high number of women holding advanced positions in politics and other areas of society, for example.
- In Finnish, the third person singular pronoun covers both genders, instead of splitting in two forms like she/he.
- Finland is one of the world’s leaders in reading books, newspapers, and the use of libraries.
- The familiar form of address in Finnish (e.q. the second person singular) is to address strangers and acquaintances as well as friends.
- December 6th is Independence Day to remember those who fell in the wars to protect the nation’s independence achieved in 1917.
- When introducing themselves, Finns will say their forename followed by their surname.
Finnish Language
Finnish is one of the hardest languages to learn worldwide. Fins chose words carefully and to deliver a message. Due to this directness, they don’t do unnecessary small talk. The language belongs to the Finno-Ugrian language group. Outside of Finland, Finnish is understood in Estonia.
There are many ways to say „hello“ in Finnish.
English | Finnish |
Hello | Hei |
Moi | |
Moro | |
Terve |
There are also many ways to say „goodbye“, and some words even mean both at the same time.
English | Finnish |
Goodbye | Hei Hei |
Moi Moi | |
Moro | |
Terve |
Go check out our Instagram or Facebook to find the Finnish culture check and other countries like Germany, Australia and much more. Each time we focus on a typical dish, a typical piece of clothing and the number 1 tourist attraction.