• English
  • 中文
  • Deutsch
  • Español
  • Français
  • Português
  • Русский
  • العربية
  • 日本語
  • Sámi
  • Life & society
  • Business & innovation
  • Arts & culture
  • Newsroom
  • Facts, stats and info

Tags

Architecture Arctic Art Business Climate Cuisine Culture Design Economy Education Entrepreneurs Environment Equality Festivals Film Finland Finnishness Food Fun Health Helsinki History Innovation Language Lifestyle Literature Music Nature Performing arts Politics Research Sauna Slideshows Society Sports Sustainability Technology ThisisFINLAND Magazine Travel Video Visual arts Webpick Wellbeing Winter Work

Pages

  • FAQ
  • Contact
  • About us
  • Accessibility statement
  • Learn more about cookies on ThisisFINLAND.fi
Skip to content
This is Finland – Homepage
  • Life & society
  • Business & innovation
  • Arts & culture
  • Newsroom
  • Facts, stats and info
Search
Search
things you should and shouldn't know
My first Finnish Christmas: Cold but cosy
First Christmas in Finland, cottage, skiing, snow, ice lantern
ChristmasModern Christmas

My first Finnish Christmas: Cold but cosy

An Englishman who has lived in Helsinki for decades recalls the magic of his first Christmas in Finland.

Tagged in FinnishnessModern Christmas
Sisu movie sequel: Finnish sisu never goes out of fashion
A bearded man, Jorma Tommila as the character Aatami Korpi, is covered in dirt and sweat while driving a vehicle that has several bullet holes in the windshield.
Arts & cultureFilm

Sisu movie sequel: Finnish sisu never goes out of fashion

Sisu is a Finnish word that refers to a combination of resilience and perseverance. Cited as a Finnish source of strength and wellbeing, it’s also the title of a violent action film whose new sequel is enjoying runaway success.

Tagged in CultureFilmFinnishnessSisuSociety
Finnish foodfluencer wishes you a veggie merry Christmas
A wooden serving spoon lies on top of a baking dish that holds an orange-coloured casserole.
ChristmasCuisine

Finnish foodfluencer wishes you a veggie merry Christmas

You don’t have to compromise on quality or taste to make a holiday dinner with no animal products. Finnish culinary influencer Elina Innanen’s recipes lead us on forays into the world of plant-based cuisine.

Tagged in Christmas cuisineChristmas traditionsCuisineFoodLifestyleRecipes
A curving wooden architectural element and a glass building facade are shown in this photo that links to Finland Toolbox, a webpage with materials and resources.
Find Finnish gifts for everyone on your list this holiday season
Three photos side by side show gift items: a bathrobe; a table with plates, glasses and food containers; and two people in jackets.
ChristmasModern Christmas

Find Finnish gifts for everyone on your list this holiday season

Our Christmas gift guide highlights meaningful pieces by Finnish brands: thoughtful, well-made and designed for everyday happiness.

Tagged in DesignFashionFinnishnessLifestyleModern Christmas
Finnish Christmas spirit brightens Helsinki streets for holiday season
People in winter clothing stroll through a Christmas market with wooden stalls, a carousel and a sparkling tree at night, in front of a brightly lit white church.
ChristmasChristmas traditions

Finnish Christmas spirit brightens Helsinki streets for holiday season

As the winter days grow shorter in Helsinki, the city bursts into light, and the Christmas season brings warmth, music and thousands of twinkling bulbs.

Tagged in Christmas traditionsCultureFinnishnessHelsinkiModern ChristmasWinter
Finnishness Society Environment Innovation Nature Education Art Music Business Design Technology Lifestyle Webpick Travel ThisisFINLAND Magazine Culture Cuisine Sports Finland Fun
The key to Finnish happiness may be people helping each other
A man is sitting in a chair beside a rack of medical equipment while a woman rolls up his sleeve in preparation for him to donate blood.
Life & societySociety

The key to Finnish happiness may be people helping each other

At a blood donation centre, we find an example of Finnish talkoohenki, the community spirit of helping each other. As our video conveys, it could be a contributing factor to Finnish happiness.

Tagged in FinnishnessHappinessHealthSocietyWellbeing
How to spot the Northern Lights in Finland
A person in winter clothing stands on snow-covered rocks and gazes at green and purple Northern Lights overhead.
Life & societyNature

How to spot the Northern Lights in Finland

The Northern Lights are visible for human eyes only when it’s dark and the sky is clear and cloudless. In northern Finland they can be witnessed from late August until early April.

Tagged in ArcticEducationNatureTravel
Staying playful: A Finnish artist combines fatherhood with creative freedom
A man plays a large steel instrument installed at an outdoor playground.
Arts & cultureArt

Staying playful: A Finnish artist combines fatherhood with creative freedom

Everyone’s an artist in Teemu Keisteri’s family, no matter if they’re four or almost 40. Father and son get creative together and explore Finland’s vibrant children’s culture scene.

Tagged in ArtCultureEducationMusicTravel
What one person’s path to speaking Finnish reveals about life and language
A woman standing outdoors, smiling in sunlight, with trees and green foliage in the background.
Life & societyLanguage

What one person’s path to speaking Finnish reveals about life and language

For polyglot Irina Pravet, learning a language isn’t just about grammar. She sees knowing Finnish as a way to belong – and that’s something you don’t find in textbooks.

Tagged in EntrepreneursFinlandFinnishnessLanguageSociety
Libraries the Finnish way: welcoming, wild and wonderful
A person holds a small stack of books with soft yarn balls on top – grey, pink and lilac.
Life & societyEducation

Libraries the Finnish way: welcoming, wild and wonderful

From reading dogs to 3D printers, Finnish libraries are reinventing what it means to be the home of learning and information. Here are some activities you can do in many Finnish libraries.

Tagged in EducationEqualityFinnishnessLifestyleTechnologyTravel
Finnish artists bring happiness to seniors in new companion programme
A woman in glasses smiles next to a man with clown makeup, a hat, a bowtie and a ukulele.
Life & societyWellbeing

Finnish artists bring happiness to seniors in new companion programme

A new cultural initiative in Finland is opening doors to meaningful artistic encounters for seniors.

Tagged in CultureHealthPerforming artsSocietyWebpickWellbeing
Why are saunas so dear to people in Finland?
Two photos side by side, one showing someone in a sauna with a bucket of water, and the other showing a sauna building on a forested lakeshore.
Life & societySauna

Why are saunas so dear to people in Finland?

Almost every building in Finland has a sauna. Two sauna enthusiasts tell what makes their favourite sauna so special.

Tagged in FinnishnessNatureSaunaWellbeing
Heads up for Helsinki’s urban overstory: Lions and gargoyles and bears, oh my!
A fancy building with a turret and a balcony also has a statue of a bear perched on the edge of the roof.
Life & societyArchitecture

Heads up for Helsinki’s urban overstory: Lions and gargoyles and bears, oh my!

If you elevate your gaze, Helsinki’s architecture contains surprising details. Mythical creatures, solemn figures and watchful animals perch high above street level.

Tagged in ArchitectureArtCultureFinnishnessHistorySlideshowsSocietyTravel

Breaking news from Finland

    by Yle News - Finland’s English-language news desk

    How Finnish glass design enchanted the world and keeps evolving
    A light-blue decorative glass bowl sits on a white surface.
    Arts & cultureDesign

    How Finnish glass design enchanted the world and keeps evolving

    From kitchen cabinets to museum displays, Finnish glass design turns everyday objects into timeless art. Our reporter visits Finland’s last remaining glassworks and explores how a small country became a powerhouse of modern glass design.

    Tagged in ArtDesignHistory
    Trams carry the future in Helsinki and elsewhere in Finland
    A green-and-yellow tram moves on tracks alongside a group of pedestrians in a city setting under a bright sky.
    Life & societySociety

    Trams carry the future in Helsinki and elsewhere in Finland

    From the hum of the motor to the clatter of the tracks, people connect Helsinki’s trams with modern daily life and historical memories. This mode of transport will play a central role in the future of the capital and other cities in Finland.

    Tagged in EnvironmentEqualityHelsinkiHistorySocietyTravelVideo
    Finland enjoys a golden age of Northern Lights
    An illustration shows streaks of colour across a night sky, while a car drives along a road below them.
    Business & innovationTechnology

    Finland enjoys a golden age of Northern Lights

    Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory might seem like a bunch of humble buildings in the middle of nowhere. However, a team of top scientists works there to unravel the mysteries of the Northern Lights. The director, space physicist Eija Tanskanen, has good news for aurora spotters: the active years have just started.

    Tagged in ArcticNatureResearchTechnologyTravel
    Finnish workwear: Fashioned with purpose
    Three photos side by side show people in fashionable clothing: A woman in a colourfully patterned robe, a woman in a long brown coat and a man in a tweed jacket and flannel trousers.
    Business & innovationFashion

    Finnish workwear: Fashioned with purpose

    Wearing Finnish design brings a touch of Finland to professional settings, where first impressions and lasting impact matter more than ever.

    Tagged in BusinessCultureDesignFashionLifestyle
    How Finland’s snow storage is shaping the future of skiing
    A forested hill features large white coverings running down several ski slopes, surrounded by lush greenery.
    Business & innovationInnovation

    How Finland’s snow storage is shaping the future of skiing

    How does Finland manage to open ski slopes long before the first natural snowfalls? The secret lies in storing snow from the previous winter.

    Tagged in ClimateFinlandFinnishnessInnovationSnowSportsWinter
    Nature photographers find a haven in Kuusamo, northern Finland
    Two people stand in a wooded area with cameras, overlooking a hill covered with trees.
    Life & societyNature

    Nature photographers find a haven in Kuusamo, northern Finland

    With its rugged fells, ancient forests and mirror-like lakes, Kuusamo offers nature photographers a front row seat to the magic of Finland’s wilderness.

    Tagged in EnvironmentNational parkNatureTravel
    More articles

    Hei! Looking for...

    Finland Toolbox (opens in a new tab)
    Study & work info
    Business & investment info
    Public services info (opens in a new tab)
    Tourist info (opens in a new tab)

    • FAQ
    • Contact
    • About us
    • Accessibility statement
    • Learn more about cookies on ThisisFINLAND.fi

    Follow us on

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Instagram

    Published by the Finland Promotion Board Produced by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Department for Communications © 1995 - 2025