Finland Local Customs

  Midsummer sun
by TarjaH
 
  • Midsummer sun
      Midsummer sun
    by TarjaH
  • Smoke sauna of my parents
      Smoke sauna of my parents
    by TarjaH
  • Saunavasta
      Saunavasta
    by TarjaH
  • Barbeque
      Barbeque
    by TarjaH
  • Sauna in my flat
      Sauna in my flat
    by TarjaH
 

Most Viewed Local Customs in Finland

1.

Sauna (The Finnish Sauna Society)   Helsinki

Sauna (The Finnish Sauna Society), Helsinki

 6 Reviews  We deliberately chose a hotel with a swimming pool in Helsinki and were shocked to find the pool only opened around 2 hours per day. This is because the pool is part of the sauna experience. Finnish... 

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2.

Musta Makkara   Tampere

Musta Makkara, Tampere

 4 Reviews  If you ask anyone in Tampere which one is the most typical local food, the answer would be mustamakkara. This sausage (similar to black pudding, but thinner) consists of pork, pig blood, crushed rye... 

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3.

No tipping in Finland (but you can leave small change)   Helsinki

No tipping in Finland (but you can leave small change), Helsinki

 7 Reviews  I don't actually agree with the no tipping custom. Finnish people might not tip very often, but when they do tip, they show that they liked the food, the place and the service - just like anywhere... 

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4.

Vappu (1st. of May)   Helsinki

Vappu (1st. of May), Helsinki

 6 Reviews  This is to tell you a little bit about a Finnish tradition called Vappu (the 1st of May). We have big Vappu celebrations over here with dancing in the streets, lots of balloons and funny masks etc.... 

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5.

Washing carpets at the beach   Helsinki

Washing carpets at the beach, Helsinki

 3 Reviews  When you tell people that the Finns still wash their carpets by hand, many do not believe this to be true. However, the tradition continues and in several water front places around the city, the... 

 See All 197 Local Customs in Helsinki

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

The Everymans Right

by gubbi1

A custom in the Northern Countries is the Everymans Right. It gives the chance to everyone to enjoy the landscape and nature by roaming freely on any property, but here people have to pay attention to certain limits. As sometimes this right is missunderstood, the Finnish Ministery of the Environment has published a flyer explaining the everymans right. I recommed all of you, who want to go on an outdoor excursion in the Scandinavian wilderness to read this.Subjects explained are e.g.- open fire- boating- snowmobiling- hunting- fishing- picking berries- etc.Download the flyer as pdf by following the link below.Flyer:Editor: Pekka TuunanenTranslator: Fran WeaverLayout: Aino-Liisa MiettinenIllustrations: Pekka Vuori16th EditionISBN 951-731-030-7Printed by Edita Ltd 1999Contacts:Ministry of the EnvironmentP. O. Box 35FIN-00023 GOVERNMENTFinlandTel: +358-9-16007Fax: +358-9-1603 9364

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Sima - A drink for Vappu (1st of May)

by gubbi1

In Finnland it is a tradition to prepare Sima for the Vappu day. Vappu is on the first of May. In Finland this day is beside the day of labour, the welcoming day for spring and the main day for students of technical universities. Sima Place in a large bowl, preferably something with a tight lid:1 lemon's outer rind ("zest")1 lb. sugar1 gallon boiling water1 env. dried yeastjuice from the lemon, raisins, sugar to add into the bottlesRinse and dry lemon, grate its outer yellow peal. Place in the container. Add the sugar and water. Cover the container and let the mixture cool. When lukewarm, add yeast and juice. Let stand for two days. Sima is then poured into bottles through a sieve. Add 1 tsp. sugar and a couple of raisins in each bottle. Cap each bottle tightly and place in a cool place. After about a week or two, the raisins will have floated to the top, which is a good indication that...

Lucia day, 13th December

by Zirpsis

This is a nice tradition. Every year, a Lucia girl is chosen and she gets a candle crown on her head on a Lucia Day pageant on the 13th of December. This year's winner is the 22-year-old Marianne Ekqvist. If you'd like to go and watch: the crowning of Lucia takes place at the Cathedral (Tuomiokirkko) at 5 o'clock and the parade starts at 6 from the Cathedral and goes along Aleksanterinkatu and Mannerheimintie to Kampintori.Lucia brings light and hope to the darkest time of the year. There's also a special Lucia Day pulla (bun). The main thing about all this hullabaloo, however, is a fundraiser campaign by the people's health organization Folkhalsan. This year they are collecting money to diminish the number of traffic accidents because more and more people are getting injured. They are going to arrange traffic teaching for children, study environments, assess risk factors and suggest...

Wife carrying World Championships

by maria_te

The wife carrying world championships is an annual competition in Sonkajarvi, usually in July. This year was the thirteenth time it has been organised.Although you might think it is just a silly competition, wife carrying actually has roots in the history as it used to be a common practice to steel women from the neighbouring villages. Also, in the late 1800s there was a brigand called Rosvo-Ronkainen, who is said only to have accepted men, who could complete a challenging track into his troops.There are certain rules for the competition, about the woman you're going to carry, about the track and the obstacles. You can also participate in a team competition, in Wife Carrying Triathlon or in the 'Classic' race where you use the piggyback style.

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Sauna - hot, hot, hot...

by finlandia

The real sauna can only be experienced in Finland, its country of origin. There are more than two million saunas (and only five million inhabitants) in Finland!!!! "Sauna" is the only Finnish word which has spread into most foreign languages including English and German. A Finnish sauna is totally different from the various sweat rooms found all over the world. A real sauna is a very hot (about 70-100 degrees Celsius, 160-210 degrees Fahrenheit) room in which you throw water on hot stones. Then you sit on the benches without any clothes and enjoy the purifying feeling. Males and females don´t have a sauna together in Finland (except a wife and a husband). For Finns the summer cottage with its sauna is the best place in the whole world. However, almost every family has an own sauna in a town, too. Nowadays even many people living in multistorey houses have own saunas. Houses have at least...

Tango

by Bjorgvin

It is not easy to explain why the tango has become so popular in Finland and continues to flourish there, while the rest of the world has more or less abandoned it. The tango is popular throughout Finland. Each year Finland crowns a tango king and queen who rule over the many tango events held throughout the country.

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The Moomins

by Bjorgvin

Remember the cheerful and chubby moomintrolls and their friends? The Finnish author and a painter Tove Jansson (1914-2001) was the creator of the Moomins. The first Moomin book was 'The Little Trolls and the Great Flood' (1945) and eight were to follow between 1946 and 1970. Those wonderful children’s books are an international success and have been translated into 34 or 35 languages.

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Poro (Smoked reindeer)

by Gili_S

Is some pubs, but very rare you can order such smoked reindeer snack, those are dry smoked reindeer or also salty dry moos is available if you would like to taste it. It will go very well with the dark smoked beer of course.

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A 100 % free Finland Travel Club

by finlandia

If you want to know more about Finland you can join in a free Finland Travel Club. All members get free e-mails with news about Finland, new links etc. There are excellent links on the home page of the club. They also answer your all questions about Finland or traveling in Finland for free (e-mail for questions finlandia@netti.fi).

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Do you tip in Finland?

by ZenLady34

Finland is straight forward country in many ways. In Finland it is not custom to tip, not the waitress, not the bell-boy in hotel, not taxi drivers. The salaries in Finland are not based in tipping, so it is not custom to tip anyone.However, if you want to tip someone for extra-ordinary service, you may do it but you do not have to.

Local traditions and culture in Finland

Top 3 Hotels in Finland

Hotel Kamp  Helsinki

 16 Reviews and 332 Opinions  Located on Pohjoisesplanadi, in the heart of Helsinki, Hotel Kämp is one of the city's most... 

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Sokos Hotel Ilves  Tampere

 5 Reviews and 59 Opinions  I stayed at Sokos Hotel Ilves for one night in July 2011 and had a very pleasant stay in this 4 star... 

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Radisson Blu Marina Palace Hotel Turku  Turku

 4 Reviews and 125 Opinions  We had never stayed in Radison hotels before, because they are allways more expensive than any other... 

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Local Customs: Cities in Finland
  1. Helsinki Local Customs
  2. Tampere Local Customs
  3. Rovaniemi Local Customs
  4. Turku Local Customs
  5. Oulu Local Customs
  6. Espoo Local Customs
  7. Porvoo Local Customs
  8. Kuopio Local Customs
  9. Ivalo Local Customs
  10. Lahti Local Customs
  11. Lappeenranta Local Customs
  12. Vantaa Local Customs
  13. Vasa Local Customs
  14. Pori Local Customs
  15. Rauma Local Customs
  16. Jyväskylä Local Customs
  17. Kajaani Local Customs
  18. Joensuu Local Customs
  19. Åland Local Customs
  20. Inari Local Customs
  21. Joensuu Local Customs
  22. Mikkeli Local Customs
  23. Tammisaari Local Customs
  24. Naantali Local Customs
  25. Imatra Local Customs
  26. Kuusamo Local Customs
  27. Vuokatti Local Customs
  28. Kerava Local Customs
  29. Savonlinna Local Customs
  30. Nokia Local Customs
  31. Mariehamn Local Customs
  32. Lahti Local Customs

More Cities in Finland

 

Popular Regions in Finland

Etelä-Suomi Local Customs  Länsi-Suomi Local Customs  Lappi Local Customs  Oulu Local Customs  Itä-Suomi Local Customs  Ålands Län Local Customs 

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Questions and Answers

TomFoolery profile photo

Q:  Right - here's the brief. I've got a maximum of three days, and am going to pick up a car from either Helsinki or Tampere.... 

Fugu profile photo

A: go to the koli national park. thats not too far so you can get to see something in 3 days, and its one of the most beautiful landscapes in finland. 

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