Published on Not From Here
For too many people, happiness is a fleeting construct. We gain a glimmer of hope when a big life milestone is surmounted — a promotion, a new relationship, mastering a new craft — but eventually, the newness of these achievements fade. Some choose to supplement this inevitable decline with a constant flow of money and material goods, hoping that it might finally fill the space that seems to perpetually fill and then drain empty, but this never fulfills us in the way we had hoped. We battle sensational news headlines and a declining middle class, all the while lusting after images of our buddies on Instagram who can seemingly afford deluxe vacations while, for most of us, just scraping by is a struggle. It is undeniably frustrating and, truthfully, unfair. Why does it seem so hopeless to feel what every human being strives for: simple, perpetual happiness?
There is a solution for those who feel blighted by westernized priorities, but I can’t share the secret to happiness with you because, well, it’s not a secret. Scandinavian and Nordic countries have had the art of a good life figured out for some time now and it’s touted pretty regularly by lofty Nordic citizens and incredulous news sources alike. For the second year in a row, Finland has been named the happiest country in the world by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and it is joined by the likes of Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and the Netherlands, all of which comprise the ranking top five. Surprised? Probably not. No one is ever shocked to learn this, and the values that promote such wellbeing don’t feel as radical as some might make it sound.
The thing about Finland is that, at first glance, it doesn’t appear to be an exceedingly happy place. Take Italy, or Australia, where the excellent quality of life is so highly popularized by movies and popular culture that it’s hard not to immediately picture two lovers sharing a Sicilian slice with smiles on their faces, or surfers laughing with each other as they spend hours upon the waves that gently caress the Great Barrier Reef — but Finland? Finland, you mean the place that experiences negative temperatures and thick snowfall for over half the year, and is plunged into 20 hours of darkness a day whenever the earth’s axis dictates it so? Finland sits snug up against Russia and has the calamitous war history to prove it. And, to that point, the Finnish people aren’t exactly known for their warmth or their overwhelming hospitality, and the food hasn’t won international acclaim.
However, the facts don’t lie. Instead, they prompt greater inquiry.
One of Finland’s cultural priorities, according to a Finnish Delegation on Cultural Development, is functionality. How perfectly blasé, right? While it is possible to thrive in the disorder and confusion that characterizes many other societies, it’s truly exquisite to see a government and people work cohesively, in the way that it was designed. The concept is sound: when you take care of your people, they take care of you, and then they’re free to take care of each other. On a more individual level, the Fins take personal responsibility to create a life of enjoyment and wellbeing. They live in line with the seasons and appreciate the earth for what it gifts them (even it only gives them ice and bitter frost) and prioritize living in the present moment. They seem to have it figured out, and here’s exactly how they do it
Celebrating Finnish Summer, While They Have It
Nothing lasts forever — not love, not wealth, and definitely not the Finnish summer. Situated so high up in the northern hemisphere, Finland and its neighboring countries experience the extremes of seasonal changes. It’s like the picture-perfect definition of the different seasons that you’d find in children’s picture books, but it’s a lot less permanent. Every week harbors new changes as father time trudges ever onwards, and no two months (in terms of weather) are ever the same. It’s a constant reminder for the people who live here appreciate what they have, while they have it — and that nothing lasts forever, not even the hot summer sun or the icy winds of winter.
‘Finnish summer’ is a concept that takes Finland by force for about two months out of the year, give or take, but the Fins make sure to take advantage of every last second of it. They embrace the warmth of summer with such gusto, and in such a short amount of time, that the amount of outdoor living they can accomplish during the abbreviated summer is truly impressive. Summer cottages are a prominent feature, with nearly every extended family owning at least property and rationing off time at the cottage between the smaller, nuclear families — which feels as if it is an ode back to Finland’s ‘all for one and one for all’ mentality. At the end of 2006, there were nearly 500,000 summer cottages in existence (in addition to their regular full-time homes), which is thought of as a luxury for many people. When considering that Finland’s population had just surpassed 5 million that very same year, we understand just how highly the Finnish people prioritize enjoying the warm, summer months.
It’s easy to understand why the Finns love summer the way they do, but how do they do it? Finnish summer is replete with vividly green trees, bright wildflowers, and happy little field mice — and the more-than-occasional Finn, hiking through all of the wilderness that immediately surrounds them. This isn’t just normal walking through the wilderness, but Nordic Walking, which is becoming more popularized through the west. It involved two Nordic-style walking sticks and is designed to propel the body forward so that it intensifies the upper-body workout. Swimming in the countries many lakes and fjords are another essential (the Finnish people almost seem to enjoy it more if this water is still cold, or in their words, ‘refreshing’), as is berry picking. It is simply amazing the amount and variety in which wild berries bloom in Finland. Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and lingonberries can all be found by the bucketful right outside of your door, or as a nice stop on your Nordic Walking path. They’re organic, sweet, and taste as though the earth gave your tastebuds a delightful little gift.
Ever considerate of one another’s needs, Finnish employers are fairly generous with their flexible schedules and time off — they want to be enjoying the summer just as much as everyone else does! This courtesy and respect for the divinity of the summer months also extend into their interactions. Most Finns will go out of their way not to block direct sunlight for their friends, companions, even strangers — and they don’t balk if someone asks them to move to the side so that their shadow can shift as well.
The Sauna, The Finnish Third Place
There’s only one place that the Finnish people enjoy being more than the great outdoors, and that place is the sauna. What is seen as a gymnasium staple is a way of life in Finland for every single season on the year. In fact, there is a rather intense culture that surrounds the sauna, and if you spend any time with the Finns, you’ll certainly be introduced to one quickly.
This is more than the post-workout sweat — and it’s hard to understate the importance of the many rituals involved. First of all, sauna in Finland is done almost exclusively naked. There’s no need for modesty here, although bathing suits and towels are more than welcome if the participant prefers. There’s singing and drinking and general merriment from being so sweaty, yet so exposed, almost as if your vulnerabilities melt right away. The sauna takes the place of the ‘third place’ in other countries, like a Starbucks in the United States or the bakery-cafe in France. It’s a place to meet and bond with friends and catching up, sweating out the day’s ciders for many hours — oh yeah, they spend hours in the sauna, usually in 30 minutes intervals, interspersed with the occasional dip in a frigid lake or snowbank. Sauna, in Finlands, an all-evening affair.
The humid, warm embrace of a sauna is a welcome comfort during winter, but comfort is not the only reason this enclosed, wooden box has become a historic Finnish sacred space. The health benefits of sauna number many, from stress reduction to improve cardiovascular health (especially when done in combination with brief, blasts of cold). It soothes muscles and reduces pain wherever you might feel it, and draws toxins to the surface of your body where it is sweated out and eliminated. You’ll find most saunas decorated with tightly wound bundles of birch branches. Not only are these fragrant, but they’re used in a way that is alarming similar to catholic prostrations or flagellation — struck across your back by yourself (or a friend) to bring blood to the surface and improve circulation. These handcrafted bouquets are an art form in and of themselves; Finnish people are taught how to strip birch trees of their lower branches, cull them of their less-than-ideal leaves and weave them into something that resembles a broom from a young age, the tradition of which even trickle down to the very name you call it — vasta or vihta, depending on where you family is from.
Sauna is inescapable. There’s one in almost every home, summer cottage, apartment complex, downtown shopping center. Some restaurants even have saunas — even a Burger King in the heart of Helsinki has one. Lean into it, sing a few sauna songs, drink a sauna beer and beat yourself with a birch branch or two. Honestly, it’ll only make you feel better.
Social Security and Mutual Harmony — A Nordic Must-Have
To many, a healthy government is one that respects the wants and needs of its people and provides such things desired. Though there are plenty of people who vehemently defend the opposite philosophy, the difference and equality can be felt here in Finland. There is still a definite class hierarchy, and it is clear that some people earn far more than others, but the disparity more resembles a gentle slope than a giant chasm. Poverty is relatively unheard of, and even the ‘working poor’ class have it pretty good. Labor jobs that would not be considered remotely glamorous in the western, such as fast food and construction workers, are done with gusto and great variety. You can see women doing roadwork, and you garbage man cleaning the trash receptacles with a smile — because they know they’re valued, and they have the compensation to prove it.
Finland and the Nordic region as a whole is an expensive place to visit and live, but the prices are justified when you’re not forced to survive paycheck to paycheck. There’s a large amount of trust in each other and the government, which also justifies the higher taxes. People generally feel good about their ability to receive a quality education (which they can, for free) and are not so worried about periods of unemployment, because their social security and healthcare are assured. Prominent recycling and reimbursement programs prioritize the environment and keep a plethora of trash out of landfills. The water is protected, animals thrive, and there is no real sense of emergency or tragedy in any part of Finland. Even single mothers can hire their government-sponsored childcare straight from an app on their phone. This sense of comfort has not stymied Finland’s advancement, either — it is truly a functional city, that is constantly improving and using technology to help it reach new heights.
The Finnish people have a deep desire to live in harmony with one another. At times, this might come off as cold or distant to people who are from more expressive cultures, but it comes from a place of respect. People in Finland are not a confrontational bunch, and for the most part, they mind their own business. Gossiping and overly personal inquiries are unheard of unless they’re volunteered by the person in question; oftentimes in favor of modesty, deference, and conversations about topics of value. A perfect example of this would be the time that a Finnish motorcyclist knocked on my car window and sign-language to me know that I had been weaving. I had been consulting my GPS, so I had been weaving, but the knock on the window shocked me and I only stared at him in response. The motorcyclist, knowing I heard him, went back to his bike and waited for the red light to change to green. There was no yelling, no flipping the bird, no unnecessary hatred for the person behind the wheel — just a simple acknowledgment of a potential wrong-doing, done out of concern for us and other people on the road. He did only what was necessary for the greater good, stowing his ego and temper in the name of it. This ability is certainly worthy of a hefty amount of respect.
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I like to take Ikea as a great example of Scandinavian/Nordic supremacy. If you’ve ever visited an Ikea store, you’ve already had a taste of the way the Swedes do things (Sweden comes in at seventh on the list of happiest countries). For all intents and purposes, Ikea should be a place of extreme chaos — do-it-yourself failures, children running amok, couples gawking at high prices and wondering if they’ll need to refinance their house in order to furnish it — but, astoundingly, it’s not. The rooms displays are neatly organized, and you’re expected to respectfully retrieve your products from the grid-work of storage shelves yourself. You can grab a healthful and tasty meal for pennies, all without having to leave the store because no one wants to shop while they’re hungry. The employees are happy to help customers because they are well-taken care of themselves. The best part is that Ikea welcomes everyone, no matter their budget or the size of their project, and people can indulge in high-class design for amenable prices. This leaves customers feeling dignified and fulfilled, rather than deflated and taken advantage of.
It all makes sense, like a group of people got together and tried to figure out how to make this teeth-grinding experiences better, more respectable, more human — and then executed it. Ideas are just ideas until action brings them into the realm of reality, and it’s this solution-centric practice that is instilled in nearly every aspect of Finnish life. The Fins take a (sometimes uncomfortable) look at reality and deal with it as such; they do not bother with an egotistical emphasis on hierarchy or dabble in ideals. In this way, they’ve managed to achieve what continues to evade so many other countries. Perhaps we’ll never know what truly makes us happy, or we might just feel ill-equipped to judge it, but Finland has managed to make an impact from spinning a truly non-ideal situation, and that’s a lesson, a free souvenir, that we all should take home with us.
