Finns enjoy a very high quality of life. Finland routinely ranks highly according to OECD quality-of-life criteria, and it’s not hard to understand why. The environment is clean, and the singular beauty of Finnish nature offers plenty of opportunities for recreation and exercise. Finnish welfare and social support is fairly robust, which allows people a safety net upon which they can rely while pursuing their dreams. Furthermore, Finland is a safe place to be; it is low on crime, so people can go about their lives without fear or anxiety for their physical safety.
A demonstrative example of the high quality of life in Finland is the government-provided maternity package, or as it is perhaps better known, the Finnish Baby Box. This box of about fifty items has been provided to all expectant mothers in Finland since the year 1938. It contains clothes, reusable diapers, toys, and almost anything else a new mother might require in caring for her child. In fact, the box in which these item are stored doubles as a bed for newborn infants. Every year, different styles and aesthetics are chosen for the items inside, inspiring a lot of anticipation on the part of a mother-to-be. But, one thing remains the same: the package’s contents are always gender neutral in color.
The maternity package is a symbol of the Finnish welfare state at its finest: efficient, useful, beautiful, generous, and appreciated. It’s also a modest way in which to ensure that every single Finnish person starts out with the same baseline of material advantage. In other words, it’s a rare Finnish child that starts life with nothing.
The Finnish quality of life is further enhanced by the excellence of Finnish design. Finns are very particular about their houses and their interiors, often spending a lot of money and effort on crafting a comfortable, beautiful home. Public buildings echo the appreciation of quality and beauty that is so apparent in Finnish homes. Finnish design is world famous, with household names including the architect Alvar Aalto, the Hackman design group, glass manufacturers Iittala, and the textile giant Marimekko.
The Finnish winter dictates the standard of the country’s architecture. With winter temperatures dropping as low as -22°F (-30°C), houses have to be well built. The traditional wooden houses of the past have given way to ultramodern buildings, usually with a “funkis” (functionalism) inspired style. However, beginning in the 1970s, reports of poor air quality in certain public buildings and private homes became more frequent. These problems are thought to be caused by mold, a result of excessive moisture. In the intervening years, many structures have undergone extensive remodeling, or have been torn down, in response. Even today, Finland struggles to strike a balance between protecting architecturally significant buildings and eradicating what they see as a major health problem.
In spite of this, Finnish homes are generally well built and well maintained. Living conditions are decidedly high. Whether in a family home or an apartment in the city center, Finns prefer to have a balcony or a terrace where one can sit and enjoy the warm air during the brief summer months. The overall cost of living is high, but Finns are generally highly educated and benefit from relatively high wages.
Town planning is highly developed, incorporating land designated for leisure, special bicycle tracks or light traffic roads, and sports grounds. All Finnish towns are designed for the use of bicycles. Schools, hospitals, and health centers are modern and well equipped.
The Finnish family is evolving. In fact, it’s hard to describe what the “average” Finnish family looks like. The most statistically common family units, however, are opposite-gender couples, both married and cohabitating, with children and without. It’s quite common for couples who live together but are not legally married to have children, while it’s also common for married couples to have no children at all. In this respect, partners have a lot of freedom regarding what sort of family they choose to have. Additionally, as divorce in Finland is quite common, so too is remarriage and the creation of blended families.
Ironically, with the breaking up of so many nuclear families, genealogy is becoming a very popular hobby, helped by a combination of well-kept church records and the Internet. Over a million Finns have left Finland since the “hunger years” of the 1880s, many emigrating to the US and Canada. Their descendants, in turn, are seeking their Finnish roots. Cousins are sought and found all over the world, and families have big reunions.
Marriage between members of the same gender was legalized in Finland in 2017, as were adoption rights for same gender couples. Prior to this, registered domestic partnerships were legalized for same gender couples in 2002, but neither marriage nor adoption was yet permitted. This relatively recent legal milestone has made it possible for a new sort of Finnish family to emerge.
In the case of two-parent families, it’s very likely that both parents work. New parents are guaranteed a long and generously compensated maternity or paternity leave, but, when the time comes to return to work, parents require support. As a result, municipalities organize and fund daycare centers for young children. Teachers who provide care to preschool aged children are all trained and qualified in the field.
The birth rate in Finland is now at a record low of 1.4 children per woman and has been in steady decline the past seven years. Indeed, the country’s population is now an aging one, since the annual number of births is below replacement rate. This is an issue of increasing concern for politicians.
Finns are used to working hard: their ancestors eked a living out of a very hostile land. Work is highly valued, and it is through diligent study and work that a Finn gets ahead in society. In other words, the so-called Protestant work ethic is deeply ingrained. However, Finns with full-time positions generally work 35–40 hours a week, and holidays are generous by international standards.
There is an increasing gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots.” Unemployment can be long-term and is particularly high in remote areas. The overall unemployment rate currently hovers around 7 percent. Additionally, social security benefits are not as robust as they once were, thereby increasing Finland’s income inequality.
The Finnish working day generally starts between 8:00 and 9.30 a.m. in Finland. Many factories start at 6:00 a.m., but municipal and government offices open at 8 or 9:00 a.m., as do most schools. This also means that children are taken to day care early, before work. Most people have breakfast (coffee and porridge, yogurt, or bread with cheese, cucumber and tomatoes), read the news and check social media before going to work. Finns traditionally live close to their workplace, but increasing numbers of people now commute, especially from the Greater Helsinki area.
Lunch begins around 11:00 a.m. or 12:00 p.m., and the evening meal is usually served around 5:00 or 6:00 p.m., particularly in families with children. Many people have their main meal at lunchtime, and only a snack in the evenings. Unless otherwise planned in advance, Finns generally don’t visit other people’s homes late in the evening, so as not to disturb them. Evenings after work are often a time reserved for calm and relaxation.
Finnish food commonly contains whole grains such as rye and barley, as well as dairy, potatoes, fish, beef, and pork. Sausages (makkara) are a popular source of meat, whereas salmon is perhaps the most commonly served fish, alongside Baltic herring, vendace, zander, and perch. Berries and mushrooms are also staples of the Finnish diet, and foraging for them is an established custom; this can serve both as an enjoyable hobby and as a way to stock up on delicious whole foods. These culinary elements are similar to other northern European cultures and reflect a climate that has traditionally been inhospitable to agriculture. However, technology and globalization have brought greater variety and choice.
While in Finland, you may find yourself munching on karjalanpiirakka (Karelian pastries), which, in spite of the name, are eaten all over Finland. These are small, savory pastries with a thin rye crust, filled with either rice or potato. They’re delicious with cheese, tomato, or sometimes just with munavoi (egg butter, which is precisely what it sounds like, butter with bits of egg mixed in) spread over the top. Finns eat karjalanpiirakka for breakfast, as a light snack, or with coffee.
If you find yourself in the Savo region, you might just be served kalakukko (literally “fish rooster,” or fish and pork baked inside a loaf of rye bread). Kalakukko may sound strange, but it’s really a delicious culinary introduction to this region of Finland.
Fried muikku (vendace) are a summer specialty in much of Finland. These are small, freshwater fish that are caught locally and fried with a light rye crust. Then, they are eaten whole, usually with mashed potatoes. For Finns or long-time residents of Finland, this dish tastes of summer by the lake, or perhaps at the city harbor, enjoying the brief beauty that the season has to offer.
Whether you’re in Lapland or elsewhere in Finland, you may encounter poronkäristys, or sautéed reindeer. This dish consists of thin strips of reindeer meat, sautéed with lard or butter, and served over mashed potatoes with lingonberry, fresh or preserved. As you might expect, reindeer is a gamey meat, one strong in flavor, which pairs well with buttery mashed potatoes and tart lingonberries.
If you are vegetarian or vegan, never fear; although most traditional Finnish foods contain meat and dairy, Finns are also health and environmentally conscious. If you live in or near a city, you should have no problem finding vegetarian options on restaurant menus, and vegan products, such as non-dairy cheeses, in supermarkets.
Finns also drink more coffee than any other nation in the world—over 24 pounds (11 kg) per person each year. They drink it in the morning, in the afternoon, in meetings, after the sauna, at weddings, and at funerals—it’s a central part of daily life. When you visit a Finnish home, your host will put on the coffee right away. Finns are very particular about their coffee, preferring lightly roasted beans with a strong flavor. Most of the coffee in Finland is imported from Brazil, Colombia, and Costa Rica.
Finns take their shoes off when they enter a home, whether it is their own or someone else’s. This is a custom that they take with them when they go abroad, and they are surprised to find that it is not a universal habit. A foreign visitor would not be expected to do so, but if you want to go native on this, the gesture would be appreciated. It is done for a practical reason—with the weather being what it is, the wet, mud, and dirt of the outdoors are confined to the hallway, keeping the rest of the house clean. Sometimes, at work or when going out, people carry with them a pair of indoor shoes to change into, leaving their winter boots beneath their coats. Again, this is a practical matter, as the boots needed to negotiate the slippery and icy streets are too hot to wear indoors.
The sauna is a sacred place for the Finns. Sauna is an almost religious cleansing ritual for the body and the soul. Whether in a home or at a summer cottage, the sauna is among the most important rooms and often the first to be built.
Finland is home to over two million saunas, both traditional (wood-heated) and modern (electric). A traditional sauna is a small, wooden structure, often located near a lake or body of water. This kind of sauna contains a wood-burning stove, on top of which are hot stones; the fire heats the stones, and throwing water on them creates steam. After basking in the heat and steam for as long as you can stand, it becomes time for a jump into the lake or, in winter, the snow. Some of these traditional saunas have no chimney, leaving the smoke from the wood fire to fill the sauna. These are known as savusaunat, or smoke saunas. A great many saunas, however, are electric, and are simply small rooms within a house or apartment. Whether wood-heated or electric, smoky or steamy, having a sauna is a restorative experience, and you should not leave Finland before giving it a try.
If you have never had a sauna before, get a Finn to show you what to do, and don’t be afraid to try the famous birch twigs—they feel very pleasant and are good for circulation. Drinking too much alcohol in the sauna is not a good idea, but a beer or two is traditional. It is advisable not to eat before a sauna, but a good meal to follow it is a part of the ritual. Remember to cool down well, and you will feel relaxed and cleansed.
A lot of social interaction takes place within the walls of the sauna. Meaningful discussions often take place between friends, siblings, partners, parents and children while in the sauna. Comfortable silences are perfectly common, too. Small talk (or avoidance of it) can be found within public saunas, among strangers. Business negotiations might happen within a spa, hotel, or rented sauna. Due to the nakedness inside the sauna, turns are segregated by gender, except among couples and, in some instances, family.
The urbanization of Finland is a postwar phenomenon, and many Finns still yearn for rural life. They are prepared to drive long distances to escape the city in the summer, and are not put off by the traffic jams out of Helsinki on Friday, or Sunday on the way back. During the month of July, most Finns are on summer holiday, and life slows down for a spell. A lot of official business must wait for vacationers to return to work the following month, but Finns don’t seem to mind; after all, everyone deserves a proper holiday.
Finns often retreat to a family summerhouse (mökki). There are 400,000 summerhouses, most of them located next to a lake, on an island, or by the sea. Each has its own sauna, of course.
Summerhouses are a very important feature of Finnish life and identity. Even people without access to their own cottage by the lake will likely have friends, relatives, or colleagues with whom they can tag along. The Protestant work ethic has its price, and burnout is a common consequence of stress. What better remedy than a Finnish summerhouse?
Typically, summerhouses are more primitive than the usual modern home. A trip to the summerhouse is an opportunity to get back to nature and live, voluntarily, without many modern conveniences, such as electricity and running water. Finns at the summerhouse bathe in the lake, use an outhouse, and rely on the nearly perpetual sun for light. Because modernity is, in the grand scheme of things, still relatively new, going back to the summerhouse and the nature that surrounds it is a little like going home.
The Finnish education system scores highly in international comparisons, coming top not only in exam results, but also in terms of cost per student. Over 90 percent of Finns graduate from post-primary education, and over 60 percent complete university degrees or their equivalent.
Compulsory education is free, and together with science and culture receives around 18 percent of Finland’s budget. Local authorities are responsible for arranging general education, with regulations and partial funding from the central government. Preschool provision is available for six-year-olds, and compulsory education starts at the age of seven. The school year is divided into two terms, each having a week’s holiday in the middle—a fall break (syysloma) in October, and a skiing holiday (hiihtoloma) in February or March.
Finnish children are independent from an early age. When the school year starts, in mid-August, it is common to see children learning their routes to school. After this they are not usually taken to school by their parents, but make their own way. In the sparsely populated countryside, as well as in districts where schools have been consolidated, municipalities provide free transportation to school if the journey is longer than five kilometers (just over three miles).
Education is held in high regard and is the source of social mobility. Finnish primary and secondary education consists of nine compulsory years and an optional tenth year. The school system is divided into the junior level (years 1 to 6) and senior level (years 7 to 9). Subsequently, students can apply either to upper secondary school or to vocational school. The aim of education in Finland is to provide a comprehensive overview in subjects such as Finnish, Swedish, or Sami (that is, instruction in the child’s mother tongue), mathematics, history, geography, and foreign languages. Everybody has to learn Finnish, Swedish, and English.
Average reading skills are high, and young people’s enthusiasm for reading as a pastime is strong. Well trained and highly professional teachers, the use of information technology, and a reading tradition are also contributing factors to the high literacy rate. Young people are avid users of technology and social media, thereby increasing their basic literacy skills, as well as, potentially, their foreign language proficiency. It is also thought that the subtitling of television programs strengthens reading skills.
School food is free for all in compulsory education. Young people are provided with a balanced, nutritious diet, and details of school menus are available to parents online.
Matriculation examinations happen nationally twice a year, in spring and in fall. Those who wish to go to university must score well in these exams, as well as on separate, program-specific university entrance exams. University admission is very competitive, and each year more young people apply to universities than there are places. Many continue in vocational schools or vocational universities, in which education is available for most trades and professions. In some cases, completing career training (in architecture, for example) qualifies students to apply for university.
At the age of eighteen the majority of Finnish men enter national service before going to university or joining the labor market. This usually means serving in the army for a short time, but it’s also possible to complete this requirement through civilian service. Women can enter national service if they wish, but few do.
There are nearly twenty universities and art academies in Finland. Universities are state-owned and controlled by the Ministry of Education, but largely self-governing. The average length of university studies is four to five years, for which students are usually awarded a Master’s degree. Financially speaking, students receive a great deal of support; the government pays a small monthly stipend in addition to providing state-guaranteed loans with extremely reasonable interest rates. The state also subsidizes student accommodation, health care, and meals.
Finnish universities boast a variety of international degree programs, to be completed entirely in English. For many years, these universities did not charge international students tuition at all. Since the year 2017, however, non-Finnish students who lack permanent residence or citizenship have been charged yearly tuition fees. However, universities offer very generous scholarships to a high percentage of students, so if you are interested in studying at a Finnish university, there’s still a good chance that you will be able to do so free, or with some assistance.
Research and development is funded by both the state and the private sector. Particularly, technological and scientific research tends to be prioritized, as is currently the case in much of the world. Philosophy, Finno-Ugrian languages, social sciences, linguistics, forestry, and mathematics are also important areas of study. Open access to higher education is available through the “summer universities,” institutions that organize university-level courses to the general public.
Finns are committed to continuing education, which is provided by local authorities, trade unions, volunteer organizations, and adult education centers in a variety of subjects. Lifelong learning and skill development also continues in the workplace. Retraining courses are available for the unemployed and to people who are in professions and trades that are changing or disappearing.
If you ask Finns what they consider to be the most important factor in getting ahead in life, most would say that it is education, reflected in the great number of resources they invest in it. Finland’s success as a nation and as a culture is largely due to their successful education system.
If you are looking to rent an apartment or a house while you’re in Finland, all the information you will need is easily accessible online. Tori.fi is usually a great place to start, and, if you’d prefer to work with a real estate agent, their information should also be readily available. Furnished apartments are available, but are, of course, more expensive.
If you’re thinking of a shorter stay, there are hotels and hostels in nearly every city. Hotels tend to be on the expensive side, so hostels are a good option if you are on a tighter budget. The online rental Website Airbnb also offers numerous options at various price points.
