It’s Christmas time, it’s Christmas time! Yes, picture me jumping up and down while I say this. This is one of the most exciting yet cosy times of the year. This year was… well, can’t say without cursing I’m afraid. Yet I wanna help you close up 2020 with a little bit of fun. This is why I am releasing a sort of advent calendar on Finland. If you are curious about everyday life, culture, and traditions in Finland, this is for you. Maybe you are a native Finn who wants to see their country through the eyes of an immigrant (let’s not lie, you want it – torilla tavataan and all – I see you) this is is for you. If you are a newcomer in Finland, this will be like “Finland uncovered”, stick here because this is for you as well.

This advent calendar is originally released as daily videos on my IGTV channel. Videos are in Italian language with English subs. If you like the video format more, then I suggest you head there and while you’re at it, please click that ‘follow’ button.
In this post I’ll round up the fun facts on Finland I shared in week 1. Here we go.

Day 1. Santa lives in Finland

Did you know the true Santa Claus lives in Finland? According to lores, Santa operates his secret laboratory in Korvatunturi, a small mountain in Lapland near the Russian border. Korva means ear in Finnish language. The place earned this name because of its peculiar ear-like shape which, legend goes, allows Santa to hear the Christmas wishes of all world’s children. Yet Korvatunturi is a top secret location and to protect its secrecy, Santa has opened a public office in Rovaniemi, Lapland. You can meet Santa there every day of the year.

Santa’s office receives hundreds of thousands of letters from about 200 countries every year. Here in Finland, letters for Santa don’t need an address nor a stamp. If you want to contact Santa from abroad, you can address your mail to Santa Claus, Santa Claus’s Main Post Office, 96930 Napapiiri, Finland.

Day 2. A sacred place: sauna

Sauna has a place of honour in Finnish culture. An estimate places 2 million saunas in Finland – 2 every 5 residents. Going to sauna is a weekly ritual. You can start with a shower before stepping into sauna, which is usually heated up between 80 and 100 C degrees. People throw water onto hot stones to produce löyly, steam, and stimulate perspiration. During summer, some use birch branches tied together (vihta) to hit the skin and encourage blood circulation. When it gets too hot, one can go out, maybe dip in a lake or go outdoors, then start over. After 2 or 3 times, it’s best to wrap up with a final shower.
Several foreigners are shocked to find out people go into sauna in their birth suit. It is common to be naked in sauna with family, friends, or even in public places like the swimming hall. Being naked does not imply anything sexual for Finns, it’s natural.
In some historical saunas, it’s possible to find a “washer”. The washer is a middle-aged woman who washes people during sauna. This is an obsolete role, but in some hotels or historical places it’s possible to find one.

Sauna is a social place for Finns, especially for men. A beautiful documentary called Miesten vuoro (which means “The turn of men”, even though it was released with the English title “Steam of life”) showing how men find the space to be vulnerable in sauna and open up.

[For people living in Finland, Miesten vuoro can be rented with English subtitles at the library and it’s currently streamed for free on Yle Arena]

Day 3. The Christmas tradition of Joulupolku

A lovely Christmas tradition in Finland is the joulupolku, the Christmas path. It’s a trail with several stations, each hosting a Christmas decor, treat, or activity. For instance, in one station it’s possible to write a letter to Santa, in another one can drink mulled wine. During Christmas time many schools, daycares, and communities organise a Christmas path. In Helsinki there’s a renowned path on the island of Seurasaari. The organisers won’t plan the path this year due to covid, but you can find a video and more information in this blog post of mine.

Day 4. Finns’ musical taste

Finns have a strong preference for a couple of music genres. One is popular, the second… I would bet you don’t know.

First, metal music. Finland holds the world record of metal bands pro capita, with 53 metal bands every 100 000 residents. Some Finnish metal bands enjoy international popularity, for example Stratovarius, Nightwish, Children of Bodom, Amorphis, Beast in Black, Sonata Arctica. Finns have an original approach to metal music. The band Apocalyptica play metal covers exclusively by cello. The Hevisaurus are a band of dinosaurs (and a dragon) playing metal songs for children. In a church in Turku it’s possible to attend service with metal hymns.

At the same time, Finns love tango. There’s a genre called Finnish tango. It is similar to the Argentinian, yet it features themes typical of Finnish folklore, such as nature, love, and country life. Tango became popular in Finland at the start of 20th century. Since 1985 the town of Seinäjöki hosts a yearly event called Tangomarkkinat. The event attracts up to 100 000 people and it’s followed on radion and tv by over 1.5 million people (remember Finland counts about 5 million inhabitants).

Day 5. Finnish Christmas treats

I want to introduce you to three Finnish Christmas treats. The first is joulutorttu, also known as joulutähti (Christmas star). These pinwheel-shaped treats are made of puff pastry with a heart of plum jam, topped with icing sugar. They are delicious, but careful not to burn your tongue with the hot jam!

The second Christmas treat you will find in Finland is piparkakut or piparit, the classic gingerbread cookies. Gingerbread came from Germany to Finland in the 17th century. Traditionally they were tokens for good luck: for instance, it was common to keep a couple in your pockets for good health. The best thing of baking gingerbread is choosing the Christmas shapes and topping them with colourful icing decors. The most common shape is the flower, a symbol of wealth and luck.

Finally, one treat all children in Finland know and love: joulupuuro, the Christmas porridge. This rice porridge cooked in milk is completed by cinnamon and sugar. During Christmas time, joulupuuro is served at school and in cafeterias. It is typically eaten at home on the Eve. Families love to place a single almond in the pot: whoever finds it will enjoy special luck the following year.

Day 6. Finland’s birthday

December 6th is a bank holiday and a special day: it’s Finland’s birthday. In 2020 Finland celebrated its 103rd anniversary. Finland is a young nation, having liberated from Russian domain in 1917. On this day, the president hosts a grand gala, inviting celebrities, diplomats, and Finns who stood out during the year. The fun fact is that the Finnish president and his/her partner welcome each guest shaking their hand, one by one. Picture an endless line and handshaking for 2-3 hours. National tv broadcasts the event and this is one of the most popular programmes, with over half of the population watching it. Finns will tell you they do to commemorate their fight for freedom, but my theory is that they simply love a good queue.

Tradition calls for two blue and white candles (Finland’s flag colours) to be placed on the window sill in the evening. This is a custom that dates back to the years preceding their liberation, when it was a silent protest against oppression.

I hope you liked this first batch of fun facts about Finland. Come back in a week for the next batch or, even better, visit my Instagram profile and enjoy my daily videos.

I want to take the chance to publicly thank my husband Fabrizio who jumped into this small project straight away. Fabrizio carried out the research of most of this content and volunteered to star in some of the videos. It’s really fun to work on this with him!

Featured Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash.