The word sisu is rooted in the word sisä, meaning “internal”. Sometime during the Second World War, as the world watched Finland fight for its independence, sisu began to mean having guts, never quitting in the face of adversity, and soldiering on with pluck and a good helping of courage when things get tough. Combining these two definitions suggests that sisu really refers to our internal reserves of strength, the ones that kick in when we realize that we must never, ever quit.
Ever since those white-clad, Winter War soldiers erected blue and white flags in a show of Finnish independence, sisu has acted as a uniting cultural ideal. During kaamosaika (polar nights), when the days are the shortest and the nights are the darkest, Finns know that sisu will carry them through until summer. When a governmental or educational policy just isn’t working, Finns will tap into their collective reserves of sisu in order to accomplish change. And, likewise, when an immigrant is struggling to learn the grammatical complexities of the Finnish language, sisu will surely help them to succeed.
Every year, hundreds of events take place to test this feature of the Finnish character. The sauna world championships, in which the winner manages to withstand the heat of the sauna longer than his or her competitors—temperatures can be as high as 110°C (230°F)—is a test of stamina and stoicism. “Swamp football,” wherein players run, kick and pass a football in mud up to their thighs, is another example. Extreme sports aside (you should search for videos on YouTube to see for yourself), sisu is the source of Finnish strength.
Finns are fond of saying, “On lottovoitto syntyä Suomessa” (“To be born in Finland is like winning the lottery”). They are proud to be Finnish, and loyal to their fatherland (isänmaa). They are, however, not without a sense of humor about the land they love: take a look at the comic “Finnish Nightmares,” Roman Schatz’s book, From Finland with Love, or “Very Finnish Problems,” a satirical look at Finland in book form and on social media. Finns love Finland, but they love having an affectionate laugh at its expense, too.
Finns like to travel, often to escape the bitter cold of the winter months, but, in most cases, they are happy to return home. Where else can you be in the city one minute, and in the middle of a pine forest the next? Where other than Finland can you ski onto to the frozen waters of Lake Saimaa or Lake Päijänne? And, at home in Finland, you can enjoy muikku, deep fried sweet-water vendace fish, and kalja, beer, in summertime on those very same shores. Where other than Finland can you hear the Finnish language spoken all around you? Although it can be nice to fly somewhere warm once in a while, to witness other cultures first hand, to enjoy foreign bodies of water, Finland is home, and home is sweet.
Still, Finns often like to hear that foreigners—tourists, immigrants, returnees—enjoy Finland as much as they do. While you’re here, you’ll likely be asked things like, “How do you like Finland?” and “Why did you come here?” and “Have you tried salmiakki (salt liquorice) and did you like it?” Because they are modest, there may be a note of disbelief in these questions—why would you come here to this little Nordic corner of the world? And how could you like salmiakki? Of course, almost any response you provide will likely inspire pride and delight. After all, your interest in their country only confirms what they already know: that Finland is a wonderful, beautiful maa (country, land) and that salmiakki is delicious.
Finns are proud of the Kalevala and its heroes. They are proud of their unique and difficult language, and that it is one of the sources for J. R. R. Tolkien’s Elvish language. They are also proud of things that are internationally recognisable, such as film stars with Finnish heritage, or of large corporations such as Nokia. In other words, they enjoy it when the rest of the world provides some acknowledgment of their many strengths. After all, they have done pretty well for themselves in the last hundred years or so.
In recent years, Finns have rightfully taken much pride in the quality of their education; Finland has consistently ranked near the top of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) study since 2006, indicating that there is something special about Finnish education. Although Finland’s PISA scores have dropped a bit since 2012, their education is still noted for its excellence, and teachers and scholars from around the world still look to the Finnish National Curriculum for cues on how to improve teaching and education policy.
Finland is also a country of regulations. Finnish society functions pretty well as a result of its clear rules and expectations, but it can also present some challenges. After all, sticking fastidiously to rules can be annoying at best, and life-disrupting at worst. When you want something done, you may be told, “Meillä on sellaiset säännöt”, “Those are the rules.” This tendency to abide by the rules has its benefits, however; it could be the reason for the lack of corruption found in government and bureaucracy.
Finland is a republic and a mixed economy, with a parliament, a prime minister (who is the head of government), and a president (who is the head of state and of the armed forces). Currently, Finnish society falls somewhere between a meritocracy and a welfare state, providing opportunities both for career advancement and robust access to social security. This is made possible through high voter engagement, strong collective bargaining rights, universal access to education, and an entrepreneurial spirit.
Finnish politics comprises several major political parties, the largest among them being Keskusta (the Center Party), Kookomus (the Coalition Party), Sosiaalidemokraatit (Social Democrats), and Perussuomalaiset (The Finn’s Party).
For Finns, democracy means both freedom and responsibility. They are conscientious citizens, who take their democratic duties seriously. They believe that, in order to change things, they have to act. It is indicative of the degree of participation that 80 percent of the Finnish workforce belong to trade unions. Collective pay negotiations are conducted between the central trade union organization, SAK, and the main employers’ organization. Individual unions will negotiate the details once the main framework for pay rises and conditions has been agreed to.
As part of democracy there is the ingrained concept of meritocracy. You advance in society through your achievements, not through birthright. The key to advancement is education, where there is equal access and opportunity. Finland is, more or less, a classless society. Since the yuppie days of the 1980s there has been an emerging nouveau riche section of society with an ostentatious lifestyle that is heavily frowned upon by most Finns. But people still like to know how much others earn, and the annual list of highest earners and taxpayers is eagerly read. Most Finnish lottery winners wish to remain anonymous.
The aristocracy that marked the years of Swedish rule is a thing of the distant past, though the manor houses still stand and the families continue. A small number of Swedish-speaking Finns regard themselves as superior to Finnish speakers and maintain some of the aristocratic customs. Finns are ardent followers of other people’s royalty, and stories about the royal houses from Sweden to Monaco sell newspapers. The “new royalty” are television stars and sportsmen and women. These days you can also be famous for being famous, as in the rest of the world.
Finns are keen readers—book sales are high—and they are well-informed about world affairs and politics, being avid consumers of news and newspapers. There are fifty-six daily newspaper titles with high circulation figures—a very large number for such a small population. The democratic decision-making process relies on people being well-informed. Democracy is practiced from early days, school pupils having student councils. Parents are involved in educational decision making. Student politics are still active, though there is growing concern about increasing apathy and a gradual decline in voter turnout. On the other hand, single-issue movements are growing in strength. Young Finns, for example, are particularly active in environmental issues.
Situated in the heart of Helsinki, Oodi pubic library is a modern testament to the Finns’ deep love of literature.
The Finnish constitution guarantees equality to all citizens, including equal rights for men and women. Finland, like the other Nordic countries, is often cited as being among the most gender-equal countries in the world. The number of women in public life is comparatively high, with Tarja Halonen perhaps being the most well known example internationally; she became the first woman president in 2000 after having served for many years as the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
However, the notion of total gender equality is still, in many ways, aspirational. Equal pay has not yet been achieved, and Finnish women still earn on average 20 percent less than men. In spite of these shortcomings, Finnish women embody the sisu ideal, and they are generally well educated and financially independent. Like in much of the rest of Europe, having a job and one’s own money is an accepted norm for Finnish women. But even with high levels of education and opportunity, Finnish society has some way to go to achieve total gender equality.
The statistics on violence against women make for uncomfortable reading. This is also true of the very high unemployment rate among immigrant women, even when compared with their male counterparts. Rape within marriage was only criminalized as recently as 1994, though Finnish women have enjoyed greater equality outside the home for much, much longer. It seems that, with all the equality that Finnish women have by right, there are still some strongly pervasive elements in Finnish life that many in the West would identify as sexist.
For years, Finland has ranked extraordinarily low on political corruption; for example, they fell within the top three least corrupt nations in the world in 2018, according to Transparency International’s corruption perceptions index. Aside from some unsightly blemishes on this record, Finnish government has a reputation for honesty.
The same is largely true of Finnish society as a whole. Honesty and forthrightness are important values, and this is likely to be evident in your interactions with Finns. It’s also visible in the surprising degree of trust that Finns have in each other. For instance, you will notice that they are often unconcerned about leaving possessions, sometimes even valuable ones, unattended for a little while. One notable exception to this is bicycles; if you happen to be in possession of one while you’re in Finland, lock it up tightly wherever you leave it.
Complete forthrightness does not extend to everyday business or social interaction, however. In many areas of the country, Finns are likely to be cautiously polite rather than bluntly outspoken, particularly with non-Finns. In other words, they might not be the best at giving you feedback on your job performance, or telling you what they really think of your new haircut.
Within many aspects of Finnish life, community spirit is strong. Although it results in high taxation, Finns support each other and their society through a relatively comprehensive welfare state. In practice, this means that healthcare, unemployment benefits, and education are all guaranteed to be either free or extremely affordable. This welfare state and all it provides Finnish citizens is thought to be something of a right, although austerity measures and a greater resistance to high taxation have begun to chip away at these provisions.
Even so, the Finnish community spirit still thrives in traditions such as talkoot (short for talkootyö, or “volunteer work”) whereby neighbors and friends volunteer to help each other with construction projects, home renovations, and gardening. This tradition dates back to a time before Finnish modernity, when life was decidedly tougher. If you are ever to attend a talkoot, you’re sure to be rewarded for your labor with beer and something to eat, in addition to good company and a warm feeling of accomplishment. This concept of community and of mutual responsibility is an important pillar of Finnish society, and you’ll see that many community enterprises, such as festivals and events, are made possible through volunteer work.
The Finns pride themselves on their introversion. Have a look at the Web comic “Finnish Nightmares” and you’ll see how Finns tend to view everyday interaction, albeit at a comical extreme. Introverts the world over identify with “Matti,” the Finn whose shyness makes it difficult to ride in elevators with strangers, engage in frivolous small talk, and the like. As reported in the New York Times, Chinese introverts have adopted Matti as something of a mascot, and coined a Mandarin word, “jingfen,” or “spiritually Finnish.” Although Matti is the stuff of stereotypes, he’s also a symbol of the way Finns see themselves.
Finns are equally proud of their loyalty in friendship, a reward for finally reaching intimacy with them. Of course, if you want to truly become a Finn’s ystävä, friend, it’s a good idea to learn some Finnish. Although most Finns speak impeccable English, learning a few words can go a long way. And forget what you’ve heard (or even what Finns will tell you!): Finnish is difficult, but not impossible, to learn.
The divorce rate in Finland is relatively high, but this does not represent a dearth of love or relationships. People tend to meet each other through clubs and associations, exercise and language classes and, of course, the Internet. If you find yourself isolated, give one of these options a try. If you’re shy or introverted, remember Matti from “Finnish Nightmares,” and you will feel right at home in Finnish social life.
Although it’s a very secular nation, Finland has two national religions: the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, and the Finnish Orthodox Church. Approximately 70 percent of the Finnish population belong to the Lutheran Church, which has seen an approximate decline of 10 percent in membership over the past decade. Only 1 percent of Finns are members of the Orthodox Church. Members of both institutions must pay an income-based church tax of between 1 and 2 percent, depending on the municipality—the tax is often cited as a major reason for leaving. Another reason is the Church’s ambivalent stance on LBGTQ+ rights. While some members of the Church leadership belong to the LBGTQ+ community, the Church has been hesitant to state explicit support, something the Lutheran Churches of neighboring Sweden, Norway and Denmark have done.
Despite the decline, the Lutheran Church remains an important institution in Finnish life. It provides community services such as free marriage counseling (even for non-members), and still provides the backdrop for baptism, marriage, and funeral services for a significant majority of Finns. Although there are fewer and fewer parishioners filling the pews on Sundays, there are still plenty of Finns who turn to the Church to mark their lives’ major milestones.
You will find that many Finnish people are open, friendly, and interested in who you are and where you come from. As a very homogenous culture for which immigration is still quite new, however, tourists and immigrants alike may occasionally run into the odd uncomfortable situation. For example, people may stare at you because you look different, but this is usually out of curiosity, rarely hostility. Like most places, however, racism exists, and there have been isolated incidents of racially motivated violence. The majority of Finns condemn racism and xenophobia.
Long-term residents and refugees are provided with an immigration plan upon moving permanently to Finland to aid their integration. This usually includes intensive Finnish language classes as well as career training. Shortterm residents usually don’t require a comprehensive integration plan and are not provided with these services.
