Culture of people country wise : Finland culture

Finland culture food people and festivals

The population of Finland includes a variety of minorities with a different language, culture or religion from the majority of Finns. Traditional Finnish minorities include the Swedish-speaking Finns, Sami, Romani, Jews and Tatars.

During the past 20 years, many more minorities have formed in Finland due to the increase in immigration. Many immigrants have arrived in Finland from Russia, Estonia, the Balkans, Somalia and Iraq, for example.

Finnish and Swedish are Finland’s national languages. Finnish as a native tongue is spoken by nearly 4.9 million people while Swedish is the native language of slightly less than 300,000 people. Other languages are spoken by approximately 245,000 people. The most prominent languages after Finnish and Swedish are Russian, Estonian, English, Somali and Arabic.

Finnish Culture & Society

Nordic but not Scandinavian

Finland along with Iceland is Nordic rather than Scandinavian.
This is reflected in their language which is not Germanic in origin.
While many social values are the same, there are subtle differences with Scandinavians.

Finnish Egalitarianism

Finland is an egalitarian society, which is reflected in their language, which employs gender-neutral words.
Finns are very modest and downplay their own accomplishments.
They view being humble and modest as virtues.

Fancy a Sauna?

The sauna has a special role in the domestic life of Finns.
It is an experience shared with family and friends.
Important business meetings may be followed by a sauna in which the conversation is continued on a more informal basis.
Saunas are found everywhere: At the end of calendar year 2002, there were 1,212,000 saunas in private apartments and another 800,000 in summer cottages and public swimming pools. This translates to more than 2,000,000 saunas for a population of 5.2 million.

Language

Ninety-eight percent of the Finnish population speak Finnish. However, it was not until the publication of the Kalevala in 1836, a book of folk poetry, that Finnish became the official language of the country. Swedish is the second official language and is the mother tongue of about 6 percent of the population. In school, Finnish children learn both Swedish and Finnish and may also learn Russian, German or English. English is the most popular foreign language in the country, so you can get around Finland without speaking Finnish or Swedish.

People

Finns have a word to describe themselves called "sisu," which roughly translates to a combination of courage, strength and determination. They are fond of technology; the Finns are leaders in Internet usage and have more mobile phones than landline phones. Finns are typically reserved in public, but they will open up once you get to know them. Finnish website InfoPankki indicates the people value equality and respect the privacy of others.

Crops

The Finnish word for their country is "Suomi," which means marshland. The country has more than 60,000 lakes, but less than 8 percent of the country is arable. This means crops are limited. Potatoes and grains are staple crops, including wheat, barley and oats. Flax is grown for food and for creating textiles such as rugs and curtains.

Staple Foods

Traditional breads are a part of every meal in Finland. In western Finland the bread is ruisleip, a sour rye bread that is flat and crispy and has a hole in the middle. In eastern Finland the bread is round and thick. Fish is also a staple, with varieties such as salmon, whitefish and herring. Finns usually serve boiled potatoes with fish. Common meats include smoked ham or smoked reindeer

Dining Out

When you dine out in Finland, you will find a variety of foods that are typical of Western Europe, but you'll also find traditional Finnish dishes. For a gastronomic experience, try a Finnish banquet. You'll start with a fish course such as salted herring, which is followed by meat such as reindeer. Along with the meat you'll be served a salad, cheese and possibly a meat or vegetable side dishes. Desserts are usually made from cooked berries or fresh with a warm sauce, though you might also eat Finnish crepes served with jam.

Pastimes

Taking a sauna is one of the most popular pastimes in Finland; there are about 2 million saunas in Finland for less than 6 million people. International sauna championships are held each year to see who can last the longest in the hottest temperatures. Winter sports such as Nordic skiing and downhill skiing are popular as well. More unusual pastimes for Finns include competing in sports such as wife-carrying and mosquito-killing.