Finland is a country with specific traditions. The Finns sacredly honor and observe their customs, passing them on from generation to generation. This is why Finnish customs seem old ritual and conservative, this is their originality.
The slowness and reserve of the Finns is legendary. The explanation for this way of behavior of this people is not only in the peculiarities of temperament, it is following ancient custom. In the old days, qualities such as silence, restraint, and equanimity were considered signs of good manners. Loud speech and defiant behavior were allowed only among common people. Time has not affected the ancient evaluation criterion; Finns are still wary of unrestrained and excessively active people.
The Finns do not go to visit people for trivial reasons or just like that, even to relatives and friends. Visit to loved ones - an important event, for which both hosts and guests prepare. The meeting is thought through to the smallest detail, because everything should be on point top level– and a gift, and refreshments, and a program for the evening meeting. Finns prefer their gifts only to things made in their own country - they are great patriots.
For these people, accuracy is the key to well-being. A long-awaited companion who is late for a meeting is unlikely to subsequently treat him with due respect.
Their most traditional hobbies are skiing, fishing and sauna. For a Finn, visiting a sauna is a ritual. This is not only a variety of water procedures, but also finding peace of mind and restoring strength. Usually, for the construction of baths, quiet, calm places are chosen on the shores of bodies of water, of which there are a huge number in Finland. There are several tens of thousands of lakes here.
With the same passion local residents relate to fishing, fortunately there are plenty of places for this activity. Finns are passionate about nature. They will never allow themselves to catch more fish than they need, no matter how good the bite. It is unacceptable for them to use a modern fishing arsenal; when fishing they use only ordinary fishing gear. Fishing requires a license, which can be obtained anywhere.
Finns adore dogs, because they are descendants of hunters. The dog is theirs best friend and assistant. Almost every Finnish family has a dog, well-mannered and phlegmatic, just like its owners. There are no stray animals here; kennel clubs are active. The country's Animal Welfare Society carefully monitors the condition of dogs, their health and nutrition.
Finns have a love for sports instilled in them since childhood. 70% of all funds are allocated from the country’s budget for the development of sports. Health and sports activities are exceptionally well developed here. There are more than one hundred and forty ski centers in the country, where ski slopes are designed for people of all ages.
Every Finn cherishes and honors the traditions of his people. It is a basic custom in this northern country to be true to one's cultural precepts.
For convenient transportation and storage of various goods in warehouses, convenient plastic boxes are used, which can be ordered from the Agropak company on their website agropak.net.
Traditions in Finland are such that to many they seem like a relic of past centuries. However, the Finns themselves carefully preserve and honor their own national customs and culture. Specific traditions in Finland are passed on from generation to generation. They have firmly entered into the everyday life and way of life of every indigenous resident of this country.
All over the world there are legends and anecdotes about such a trait of the Finnish character as slowness. Many foreigners are completely incomprehensible to conservatism and some phlegmatism Finnish people. But for the Finns themselves, these are centuries-old traditions in Finland, which have become an integral part national character. For a long time, restraint and slowness were considered in this country signs of well-mannered, intelligent people. That is why loudly and violently expressing one’s emotions is not accepted here.
Traditions in Finland that deserve special attention include punctuality, the widespread use of “you” and equality between the sexes. The Finns, of course, are inferior to the Germans in punctuality, however, even here it is not customary to be late. You can say “you” to your interlocutor, regardless of age and chain of command. Equality and partnership underlie such a tradition in Finland as the relationship between a man and a woman. Women favorably accept signs of attention from men, but it is absolutely important for them that a man appreciates and respects their right to independence and their own opinion.
Ancient and modern customs of Finland
Some national customs of Finland are known far beyond the borders of this country and have even become fortunate cultural life other states. These are, for example, traditional Finnish hobbies: fishing, sauna and skiing. Finnish customs require careful attitude to nature. Finns love to fish, but they never use cutting-edge methods for this purpose. fishing. There are several tens of thousands of lakes on the territory of the country, so there is a real expanse for fishing here. However, Finnish fishermen never catch more fish than they need, and when fishing they use the simplest gear.
The ancient customs of Finland are directly reflected in the proverb: “First build a sauna, then build a house.” The native Finns have done this for a long time. And to this day, bath culture is an integral part of the life of the Finnish people. Traditionally, people relaxed and washed in the sauna. Today there are more than a million small and large saunas in the country that do not stand idle. And the bathing customs of Finland themselves spread throughout the world.
The locals simply love skiing. The state allocates huge sums for the development of winter sports. There are more than 140 ski centers in the country, where both young and old can practice. Physical education is a mandatory daily activity for many Finns. It is customary for the whole family to go on ski holidays to Lapland.
These are the customs of Finland. Here it is customary to take care of your health and the health of others. Smoking is not allowed here in public places and talk loudly on the phone, disturbing other people. But it is quite appropriate to look directly into the eyes, demonstrating full attention and concentration on the words of the interlocutor. Forget about empty chatter, because in Finland any words you say will be taken seriously. And remember: interrupting a Finn means being extremely impolite.
Festival traditions in Finland
Over time, customs and traditions in Finland undergo changes. The country keeps up with the times, which means new trends modern era they will not miss this snowy corner of the world. Mobile phones have given rise to a distinct culture. In Finland, it is prohibited to use mobile phones on airplanes, hospitals and other public places.
In this country you will never hear negative reviews O own culture and customs. In Finland, it is customary to respect and cherish traditions, including completely new ones. Suomi do not have big amount historical monuments and monuments. However, this country has its own treasure - all kinds of festivals that are held throughout the year. Festival traditions in Finland have become firmly entrenched in the lives of Finns. Numerous festivals of literature, ballet, music, arts, fishing, etc. attract thousands of tourists to the country. Just look at the holiday weeks in Helsinki, which are a recognized event on an international scale. This cultural event is unique in the Scandinavian countries. Festivals in small and major cities Suomi embellishes the measured life of Finns, and gives foreigners an amazing opportunity to relax and get to know the traditions of Finland better.
Customs, manners, concepts and topics of communication that will help to better understand Finnish society.
Time
Finns are punctual and value time. They stick to their appointments, preferably to the minute, and being more than 15 minutes late is considered impolite and requires an apology. It is customary to adhere to the appointed time in private meetings with friends and acquaintances.
In transport, train and bus delays are exceptions.
Gender relations in Finland are characterized by equality, reflected in the relatively large representation of women, particularly in politics and other public activities.
According to generally accepted etiquette, women should be treated without chauvinistic arrogance and condescension, although such attitudes still occur in practice. Women appreciate traditional politeness from men, but their final assessment of men is often based on their attitude towards issues of equality. In money matters, women are usually independent and may, for example, express a desire to pay their share of the bill at a restaurant, although refusing such an offer is not at all considered impolite.
Greetings
The most common form of greeting in Finland is a handshake. Both men and women are greeted with a handshake, and women also shake hands.
The Finnish handshake is short and firm, without reinforcing gestures such as touching the shoulder or the arm above the hand.
Like other peoples, Finns kiss. But kissing during greeting is generally not customary. Kissing the hand is rare, although many women consider this old display of gallantry a charming gesture. Friends and acquaintances can hug when they meet, and kisses on the cheek are also not uncommon: in Finland this custom gives away the townspeople. Etiquette does not determine the number of cheek kisses. Finnish men, when greeting each other, do not kiss, especially on the lips.
Talk
The Finns have a special attitude towards words and speech: words are taken seriously and people's statements are taken seriously. “They take a bull by the horns, but take a man at his word,” says a Finnish proverb. By carefully weighing their words, Finns usually expect the same from others.
“Small talk about nothing” is a relatively new phenomenon in Finnish culture. Many Finns are not used to this and, for example, may take the abstract invitation they receive seriously. And a verbal promise is a promise in Finland.
Finns are good listeners and consider it rude to interrupt others. They are not bothered by pauses in conversation.
Having met a new person, Finns willingly communicate on any topic; neither politics nor religion are taboo. As readers of books and newspapers and visitors to libraries, Finns are among the world's leaders and are therefore quite well informed about what is happening both in their homeland and in the rest of the world.
On you or on you?
Addressing people with “you” is common in Finland, not only among friends and acquaintances, but also with strangers, as well as at work. People usually address co-workers on a first-name basis, right up to senior management. In the service sector, workers quite often address clients on a first-name basis, and vice versa, although the older generation does not always like such familiarity.
When introducing themselves, Finns rarely mention their titles, titles and professions.
Also, addressing your interlocutor as “Mr” or “Madam” is an extremely rare occurrence. The Russian practice of using patronymic names is generally unfamiliar in Finland.
Religion
The guest usually does not encounter difficulties even in those matters that are between different cultures are often quite ticklish. The bulk of the population is highly secularized, although the majority of Finns (about 83% of the population) are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. 1.1% of Finns are Orthodox. Finnish Orthodox Church belongs to the Patriarchate of Constantinople, but in Finland there is also a church of the Moscow Patriarchate. The attitude towards the religious beliefs of neighbors is respectful and, despite secularization, the church and its ministers enjoy authority.
Visits
The house is a center in Finland social life. This is due to both cultural and financial considerations. The guest should be prepared for a fairly relaxed and informal atmosphere. The owners will be pleased with a bottle of wine and a bouquet of flowers brought with them.
Country house
Finns are happy to invite guests to their dacha.
About a quarter of Finns have a dacha, which in many cases is essentially a second home.
Living conditions at the dacha can be very ascetic, so it makes sense to dress comfortably and practically for the trip. The best reward for hosts is that the guest is happy and enjoying life, come rain or shine. The guest would act wisely if on the third day of his visit, over morning coffee, he started talking about returning to the city. He should cancel his departure only if the owners’ protests are very convincing.
Sauna
The sauna is important for Finns along with nature and silence. There are saunas everywhere - in private houses, apartments, and dachas. According to statistics, there are one and a half million saunas in Finland, which has a population of five million. The sauna is visited both with family members and with friends or business partners.
It's important to remember that a sauna has nothing to do with sex. Men and women go to the sauna together, but only within the family. Shared saunas, where men and women steam together, are unfamiliar to Finnish sauna culture.
There is no separate sauna etiquette in Finland because Finns learn to go to the sauna as naturally as they learn to speak.
The temperature in a Finnish sauna is usually from 60 to 100 degrees. The amount of steam produced depends on habit or endurance. Many people prepare brooms from fresh birch branches in the summer and dry or freeze them for the winter. Caps are not used in the sauna. Refusal to use the sauna is not at all a sign of impoliteness.
The bath evening is held without haste. After the sauna, it is customary to continue socializing with soft drinks and sometimes a light snack.
Mobile phones and information technology
The use of mobile phones in Finland, as in other countries, is subject to a rather vague etiquette, aimed at reducing the risk and discomfort associated with their use for other people. enjoy mobile phones prohibited on airplanes and in hospitals, not accepted at meetings or in restaurants, and considered barbaric at concerts, theaters, cinemas or churches.
Internet, Email and chat rooms have radically changed the way we get information and keep in touch in Finland. For young people, using constantly updated applications information technologies- part of everyday worries and a major factor in youth culture. All more politicians and company executives create their own Internet sites, talk about their lives and share their thoughts on personal blogs.
About smoking
Smoking in recent times years go by is on the decline, and mass attitudes towards it are becoming increasingly negative. The law restricts smoking in public places. Smoking at work, in bars and restaurants is prohibited. As law-abiding people, Finns observe these prohibitions.
Smokers are expected to be tactful. A guest invited home asks the hosts for permission to smoke, even if ashtrays are displayed in plain sight. In private apartments, smokers may be directed to the balcony - or, if smoking on balconies in a multi-storey residential building is prohibited, simply to the courtyard. This can, especially in winter cold, significantly reduce nicotine consumption in the company.
About tipping
The custom of tipping has not really taken root in the Finnish way of life. A fairly simple reason to avoid tipping is that the payment includes all services, including polite service, in other words, “service is included in the price.” However, in Finland they also give tips. This does not require complex calculations from the client, since no one particularly pays attention to whether the tip is equal to 10-15 percent of the bill or not.
It's quite rare to tip in hotels, but you can leave a few coins on the bar counter for the bartender. A taxi driver generally does not expect tips, but customers often round up the fee in his favor.
It is not customary to tip the hairdresser.
Languages
Finns speak Finnish, Swedish (Swedish is the mother tongue of 5.6 percent of the population) or Sami, which has about eight thousand native speakers. There are also a number of Roma (Gypsy) speakers. Finnish is part of a very small Finno-Ugric group of languages.
Many people in Finland speak English. It is generally accepted in business life, and in some international Finnish companies it is even a working language. Little Russian is spoken.
Finnish-Swedish bilingualism
Throughout the entire period of independence, Finland has maintained two official languages - Finnish and Swedish, although the Swedish-speaking population constitutes a very small minority. The reasons for the country's bilingualism are rooted in history. From the Middle Ages until the 19th century, Finland was part of the Kingdom of Sweden. All those in power were Swedish speakers, so knowledge of the Swedish language was prerequisite admission to a university or government position. And although in 1809 Finland became part of Russian Empire, the position of the Swedish language as a cultural language has been preserved - the Finnish language has received the status state language only in 1863. Many Swedish-speaking people who have lived in Finland for many generations no longer have any ties to Sweden. When the young nation was at the stage of spiritual self-determination in the 19th century, many enlightened representatives of the Swedish-speaking population actively supported the development Finnish language and culture. One of the then Swedish-speaking figures uttered the immortal words: “We are not Swedes, we will not become Russians - so let’s be Finns.” Some representatives of the Swedish-speaking population began to speak Finnish for ideological reasons, despite their meager vocabulary, and even changed their first and last names to Finnish. On turn of the 19th century and 20th centuries, violent language conflicts broke out, as a result of which, after the country gained independence, it was decided to guarantee the right of the Swedish-speaking population to their own language by law.
Swedish-speaking Finns have preserved their language and their culture, but do not consider themselves Swedes at all. They constitute a very viable minority with their own television channel, newspapers, schools and kindergartens, societies, organizations and even an active political party.
Finland is a country with special traditions. The way Finns behave, their restraint and slowness correspond to the temperamental characteristics of these people. In the old days, loudness was a sign of bad manners, and they still honor this custom. Our time has had virtually no effect on their attitude towards loud and overly active people.
For Finns, a visit to friends and relatives is an event for which they prepare for a couple of weeks. Great importance has preparation for the evening, table and gift. Finns are great patriots, so it is preferable to give goods from local producers. In this regard, even in the most expensive imported exclusive they do not see a reason for delight.
Finns are quite punctual. They believe that accuracy is a sign of prosperity. There is no doubt that a person who is late for an appointment without warning does not deserve respect; he is a frivolous person. Finns think this way, unlike some of our people.
The most favorite and traditional hobby for Finns is fishing, then skiing and, finally, sauna. IN Finland
there are many baths, about a million saunas for less than five million people. Saunas are built to be used by a small number of people. Visiting a bathhouse is a ritual. Baths, as a rule, are built in a quiet, peaceful place near a lake. In the bath they gain strength and restore peace of mind, and not only wash themselves.
Finns are very passionate about fishing. Finland is immensely rich in lakes, and the Finns protect nature for posterity, so they catch only as much fish as is required in this situation, despite the good bite. A real Finnish fisherman will not allow the use of electronic fishing rods from the modern arsenal of fishermen. They use basic fishing gear.
To fish in the country, you need a license. Buying it is not a problem, because they are sold everywhere: in special vending machines, in police stations and even in libraries.
Finns take great care of dogs. In Finland, much attention is paid to animal shelters: these are kennel clubs that were created back in the nineteenth century. Finland has managed to solve the problem of stray dogs. There are practically none. They are building areas for walking animals. Specialized stores sell dog care products and food for them. The Humane Society monitors the welfare of dogs, their health and nutrition.
Almost 70% of the country's budget is allocated for the development of sports. The sports and fitness program is very strong. A love of sports is instilled in childhood, which is perhaps why Finns are so keen on sports. On city streets you can meet older people who, in any weather, enthusiastically do sport exercises. All Finns engage in physical education: from the youngest to the elderly.
Finns are especially fond of orienteering and skiing. There are 140 ski centers in the country, where ski slopes are provided for everyone: professionals, beginners or experienced amateurs. In February, lovers of ski holidays go to Lapland. Finns honor the traditions of their people, their country, they are faithful to their culture. In conclusion, I would like to say that this is the most basic Finnish tradition - to remember the past, to remember the history of our people.
Finland is a country with special traditions. The way Finns behave, their restraint and slowness correspond to the temperamental characteristics of these people. In the old days, loudness was a sign of bad manners, and they still honor this custom. Our time has had virtually no effect on their attitude towards loud and overly active people.
For Finns, a visit to friends and relatives is an event that takes a couple of weeks to prepare for. The preparation of the evening, the table and the gift are also of great importance. Finns are great patriots, so it is preferable to give goods from local producers. In this regard, even in the most expensive imported exclusive they do not see a reason for delight.
Finns are quite punctual. They believe that accuracy is a sign of prosperity. There is no doubt that a person who is late for an appointment without warning does not deserve respect; he is a frivolous person. Finns think this way, unlike some of our people.
The most favorite and traditional hobby for Finns is fishing, then skiing and, finally, sauna. There are many saunas in Finland, about a million saunas for less than five million people. Saunas are built to be used by a small number of people. Visiting a bathhouse is a ritual. Baths, as a rule, are built in a quiet, peaceful place near a lake. In the bath they gain strength and restore peace of mind, and not only wash themselves.
Finns are very passionate about fishing. Finland is immensely rich in lakes, and Finns protect nature for posterity, so they catch only as much fish as is required in this situation, regardless of the good bite. A real Finnish fisherman will not allow the use of electronic fishing rods from the modern arsenal of fishermen. They use basic fishing gear.
To fish in the country, you need a license. Buying it is not a problem, because they are sold everywhere: in special vending machines, in police stations and even in libraries.
Finns take great care of dogs. In Finland, much attention is paid to animal shelters: these are kennel clubs that were created back in the nineteenth century. Finland has managed to solve the problem of stray dogs. There are practically none. They are building areas for walking animals. Specialized stores sell dog care products and food for them. The Humane Society monitors the welfare of dogs, their health and nutrition.
Almost 70% of the country's budget is allocated for the development of sports. The sports and fitness program is very strong. A love of sports is instilled in childhood, which is perhaps why Finns are so keen on sports. On city streets you can meet older people who enthusiastically do sports exercises in any weather. All Finns engage in physical education: from the youngest to the elderly.
Finns are especially fond of orienteering and skiing. There are 140 ski centers in the country, where ski slopes are provided for everyone: professionals, beginners or experienced amateurs. In February, lovers of ski holidays go to Lapland. Finns honor the traditions of their people, their country, they are faithful to their culture. In conclusion, I would like to say that this is the most basic Finnish tradition - to remember the past, to remember the history of our people.
