Explaining unique features in the Finnish way of life by Tarmo Ahvenainen

2025-05-23 10:36:30 UTC

In Finland we typically drink coffee with or without milk. When you offer coffee to someone, you usually ask: "Do I leave maitovara?", which means that do I leave space or room for the milk.

2025-05-23 10:38:50 UTC

"‘Torilla tavataan’ (literally ‘let’s meet at the market square’) is a Finnish expression used to celebrate national pride, especially after a significant success like a sports victory. It refers to the tradition of gathering in the town square to celebrate together. It has become a kind of humorous or ironic meme online among Finns, symbolizing collective joy or mock-excitement over any Finnish achievement, big or small.

A berry picker

jennipalosaari3 — 2025-05-23 10:42:34 UTC

A light machine, berry picker what you can take with you when you are going to pick berries from the forest, for example bilberries and lingonberries. In Finland you can go to forest and pick berries for free.

2025-05-23 10:42:35 UTC

Physical activity that happens as a part of your daily tasks or routines. For example gardening, cleaning or walking stairs are included in hyötyliikunta in Finland.

2025-05-23 10:43:26 UTC

"Housing association yard work" typically refers to maintenance or landscaping tasks performed in the outdoor areas (yards, gardens, or communal green spaces) that a housing association manages.

A housing association is a non-profit organization that provides and manages affordable housing. These associations often manage shared spaces in apartment complexes or housing developments.

So, yard work in this context might include:

Mowing lawns
Trimming hedges
Weeding flower beds
Planting or maintaining trees and shrubs
Cleaning up litter or debris
Snow removal (in winter months)

The housing association’s staff can do this work, hire contractors, or sometimes even have residents as part of community upkeep.

2025-05-23 10:43:39 UTC

Everyone's rights (formerly everyman's rights) refer to everyone's right to enjoy nature and make use of it, regardless of the ownership of the area. In other words, the use of nature within the limits of everyone's rights does not require the permission of the landowner or the holder of the land, and there is no need to pay for the exercise of everyone's rights. For example you can pick berries and mushrooms from the forest. Everyone's rights always include the requirement that they will be harmless: the right should not be exercised in a way that causes harm or disturbance. In particular, care must be taken to ensure that no one's domestic peace is disturbed. In addition to Finland, there are everyone's rights in at least Sweden, Norway and Iceland, Scotland and Switzerland.

2025-05-23 11:07:09 UTC

"Palmusunnuntain virpojat" refers to a Finnish Easter tradition on Palm Sunday, where children dress up (often as witches or in colorful costumes) and go door to door with decorated willow branches. They recite a traditional rhyme to bless the household with health and happiness in exchange for treats, similar to Halloween trick-or-treating. The custom is known as "virpominen."

Shrovetide = laskiainen Sledding = mäenlasku pulkalla

2025-08-12 09:22:03 UTC

Käytetään myös lent/shrove Tuesday=laskiaistiistai/Mardi Gras/Pancake Tuesday

Lent is a period of 40 days before Easter in Christianity and in Finland were spent Shrovetide and sledding outdoor. Also people are eating Shrove bun. It is bun with whipped cream and strawberry or rasberry jam.