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Turku Local Customs

A wonderful Finnish sunset - Turku
A wonderful Finnish sunset
by Laura_Mexico
Learn the local customs of Turku. Tips and photos posted by real travelers and Turku locals.
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Turku Local CustomsTips 1 - 10 of 33  
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Door locks
  • Tip Rating:
    • HORSCHECK
  • By HORSCHECK on August 7, 2004
  • Turku Page by HORSCHECK
    • Scandinavian door lock - Turku
    Scandinavian door lock
    by HORSCHECK
    In Scandinavia door locks or keys often have to be turned contrary to how you are used to turning them to open or close a door. For example, in Germany a door with a door handle on the right side is usually locked by turning the key clockwise, whereas in Scandinavia you might have to turn it anti-clockwise.

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    Sauna
  • Tip Rating:
    • biggeorge
  • By biggeorge on May 12, 2004
  • Turku Page by biggeorge
    • Lottes parents let us use their sauna, which was in a small wooden outhouse in their front garden.
    Theres the hot room with wooden platforms and a wood burning stove and a kind of lounge for relaxing , drinking beer and watching the ice hockey.
    Sauna's in the U.K people just sit there ocaasionally asking permission to put half a spoon of water on , Finnish ones tend to be short and hot , whole buckets of water get chucked on the stones , along with sinus clearing oil , which prepares you for a good thrashing with the birch branches.
    Come out grab a beer and you feel like a new man , standing in the fresh air with that weird tingly feeling.
    Even better if they have a lake , so you can go straight out and hit the freezing water.

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    Student Overalls
  • Tip Rating:
    • biggeorge
  • By biggeorge on May 11, 2004
  • Turku Page by biggeorge
    • Dave trying on someone elses - Turku
    Dave trying on someone
    elses
    by biggeorge
    For special events the students have their own sets of brightly coloured overalls , different colours depending on the school and subject with patches sponsored by local companies.
    These overalls are not only warm but keep the inevitable spilt beer , vomit , tomato sauce off your decent strides.

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    Vilmos
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    • biggeorge
  • By biggeorge on May 11, 2004
  • Turku Page by biggeorge
    • Jiiko has been drinking for some time. - Turku
    Jiiko has been drinking
    for some time.
    by biggeorge
    Clear spirit , similar to Vodka but entirely without any form of taste. Consequently can be drunk neat with no side effects until your head feels so heavy that you start looking like the lead singer of the Vines during a guitar solo , and staggering about like a zombie.
    Rather disconcerting when you see the photos the next morning.

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    City of lost memories and lost money
  • Tip Rating:
    • biggeorge
  • By biggeorge on May 10, 2004
  • Turku Page by biggeorge
    • Lotte and Ben guess which ones Finnish? - Turku
    Lotte and Ben guess which
    ones Finnish?
    by biggeorge
    One of our friends from Helsinki told us Turku was " the city of lost memories and lost money " then proceeded to have a n argument with another friend ( from Turku ) whether this was a good thing or not ( in Finnish). However its also the" city of beautifull women" , which is definately true and definately a good thing , especially when they wear short skirts and knee length socks.

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    Vappu - White hats
  • Tip Rating:
    • biggeorge
  • By biggeorge on May 11, 2004
  • Turku Page by biggeorge
    • This was only the second party and i'm battered - Turku
    This was only the second party
    and i'm battered
    by biggeorge
    The white hats are put on the 30th at 6pm , every person has their own and you can tell the old ones because they've turned yellow. They symbolise freedom and wisdom or something and its not the done thing to wear one without permission ( or say they look sea scout hats )

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    Vappu - Day 2 May 1st
  • Tip Rating:
    • biggeorge
  • By biggeorge on May 11, 2004
  • Turku Page by biggeorge
    • Dave is our captain - Turku
    Dave is our captain
    by biggeorge
    Every goes to a park on a small mountain , still wearing hats and student overalls , lays out a rug and passes round the bread and squeezy pickle , kill the last days hangover by drinking red wine and listen to the band , or just stare at the rock at the top of the park that seems to attract knockout blondes in sunny weather.

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    Vappu - Day One
  • Tip Rating:
    • biggeorge
  • By biggeorge on May 11, 2004
  • Turku Page by biggeorge
    • Market Square just after 6 - Turku
    Market Square just after 6
    by biggeorge
    The 30th ( i think ) commences with everyone gathering in the market square and round the statues that have been decorated with hats and streamers for the occasion.
    The white hats are donned at 6.00 exactly and the white wine is opened and passed around , if you bring a glass people just give you loads and the youngsters cover themselves in streamers while speeches are made and wine poured over the statues , then its off to the riverbank to get battered.

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    Official Languages
  • Tip Rating:
    • HORSCHECK
  • Updated By HORSCHECK on September 14, 2005
  • Turku Page by HORSCHECK
    • Turku - Abo - Turku
    Turku - Abo
    by HORSCHECK
    Finland has two official languages. About 93 % of the population speaks Finnish, whereas Swedish is the mother tongue for 6 % of the people.
    So all signs are bilingual in Finland. For example "Turku" is the Finnish and "Abo" is the Swedish name of Turku. Most of the Swedish speaking Finns live in the coastal areas of Finland.

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    the city is divided by the...
  • Tip Rating:
    • nathasha
  • By nathasha on September 8, 2002
  • Turku Page by nathasha
    • Turku Local Customs
    by nathasha
    the city is divided by the river AURA. in the winter you can skate on it and go jogging on it :)) in the summer you can go on a boat ride, there are also plenty of boats that are only bars/restaurants. summer or winter, the river is a focal point for the local people. the two sides of the river are called 'tal pual jokkee' meaning 'this side of the river' and 'tual pual jokkee' meaning 'that side of the river'. everyone wants to be on 'this side of the river', but the funny thing is that nobody really know which side of the river is 'this' and which is 'that'! that is the eternal enigma of the turku people :))) if anyone asks, just say you are from this side of the river and you will be accepted amongst the locals ;))

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    Overview
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