Finland Facts, the happiest nation on earth

For the last six years, Finland has been ranked as the happiest nation on earth by the World Happiness Report.

It makes sense that people elsewhere in the world would ask what makes the Nordic nation so consistently happy, given its severe winters and sparse sunshine.

Numerous elements, such as social benefits and free education, may add to the country’s happiness, or contentment as the residents prefer to call it.

However, it appears Finland may be onto something, regardless of whether Americans are seeking fulfillment or genuine happiness. These 11 odd things Finns do may surprise Americans, and some of them may offer important clues to living a more contented existence.

While they shop or eat, some parents leave their newborns outside to slumber

In Nordic nations like Finland, it’s customary for parents to let their infants sleep outside.

For a variety of safety-related reasons, parents in America would find this ridiculous, but in Finland, people are generally far more trusting, as locals told Business Insider in 2023. In order to make sure their child is safe, parents should also take preventative measures including employing video monitors, designated outside nap locations, and attire appropriate for the weather.

Bringing their newborns inside, where they are more likely to be disturbed, is something that many Finnish parents feel is preferable than doing this.

Furthermore, UK sleep consultant Katie Palmer recently told BI that this technique may help babies sleep longer and better while also exposing them to fewer infections.

Growing children’s activities in Finland are also influenced by the collective sense of safety there. Even at the age of seven, some children independently walk to and from school and playgrounds.

The opportunity to receive a baby box is extended to all expecting mothers and adoptive parents by the Finnish government.

Maternity boxes, or baby boxes, are a long-standing project in Finland that provide necessities for an infant’s first few months of life in an effort to provide all children an equal start in life.

Ihana Pon, a YouTuber, released a video in April 2023 that included a list of the items in her Finnish baby box. There was a book, a snowsuit, blankets, onesies, and toiletries.

After 150 days of pregnancy, every woman can apply for the box or a cash supplement, according to her.

parental leave

Working parents in Finland are also eligible to parental leave and continuing compensation following the birth of their child.

According to a December 2022 report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD, mothers receive 17 ½ weeks off at 74.6% of their wage. This is equivalent to almost thirteen weeks of paid vacation time.

However, there is no nationally mandated minimum paid maternity leave in the US.

They get free tuition for college

All citizens of Finland are entitled to free education up to the doctorate level.

According to BI, Finland allocated 24% of its GDP to social safety in 2021. Meanwhile, the OECD claimed in 2023 that 85% of Finns were satisfied with the nation’s educational system. In comparison, 64% of Americans said they were satisfied with the US educational system.

The OECD noted that in 2022, more Americans between the ages of 25 and 64 than Finns finished their postsecondary education, despite the disparities in satisfaction.

Numerous Finnish families take their summer vacations in cottages that lack electricity and running water

Summer is precious in a place as cold as Finland, so much so that after Midsummer Day in late June, “virtually the entire country’shuts down’ for the five or six weeks that follow Midsummer,” In “A Guide to Finnish Customs and Manners,” published by the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department for Communications, this is what Finland wrote.

These kinds of shutdowns are made feasible by the nation’s dedication to work-life balance. Finns get a lot of paid time off compared to many US employers: five weeks, usually divided into one summer and four winter weeks, plus thirteen national holidays, according to statistics from Vacation Tracker.

Many families take advantage of this time to travel to remote summer cottages, or “mökki.” These frequently lack power and running water. According to Culture Trip, the absence of distractions offers a psychological and physical reprieve from the stresses of everyday life.

More coffee is consumed in Finland than anywhere else in the world

Finland is the nation that consumes the most coffee, with 26.45 pounds consumed per person year, according to BI’s 2020 study, which used statistics from the International Coffee Organization for 2017.

A 2020 analysis from National Coffee Data Trends reveals that this equates to roughly five to eight daily cups of coffee, compared to the typical American’s three daily cups.

Because coffee plays such a significant role in Finnish society, the language has evolved to contain terms denoting various contexts in which it is consumed: “Vaalikahvit,” coffee after casting a ballot in an election, “mitalikahvit,” coffee after winning a sporting medal, and “saunakahvi,” coffee after a sauna.

Unthinkable in the US, where there isn’t even a legislative mandate for lunch breaks, the nation even has a labor agreement requiring two 15-minute coffee breaks every day.

Although the specific reason for Finland’s strong coffee addiction is unknown, BI said in 2020 that individuals may turn to coffee to get through the long winter days when there is little sunlight.

It’s common practice to enter a public sauna fully nude in Finland

Saunas are perhaps one of the first aspects of Finnish culture that come to mind. However, the way Americans and Finns use them most of the time differs.

In a 2023 video, Aurora, a Finnish TikToker who now resides in Los Angeles, said she was astounded to witness Americans using a sauna while wearing athletic attire, sneakers, and gadgets. She had only worn a towel when she went into the sauna.

She talked on the essential elements of Finnish sauna culture in another TikTok, such as exfoliating with birch-tree leaves while naked and maintaining extreme silence.

She continued by saying that it’s typical for Finns to utilize saunas in the winter before plunging into a snowdrift or going swimming in frigid seas.

“I know this is like super popular right now in the wellness world to do sauna and do cold plunge that we have been doing for centuries, and it’s the best,” she stated to her fans.

The woman told BI that she believes saunas in America would be as enjoyable as they are in her native country since they are “much more relaxing.”

Finland is the birthplace of the unusual sport known as wife carrying

The person who first introduced wife carrying was Herkko Rosvo-Ronkainen, well known as “Ronkainen the Robber,” in the 19th century. The general concept is that Herkko and his men would abduct women from their homes and carry them on their backs, despite the fact that there are various versions of the story, according to Wife-Carrying.org.

Finland hosted the first contemporary competition in 1992, and Sonkajärvi, Finland, now hosts it every year.

The competition is nearly exactly what it sounds like: a man has to carry his “wife” across two dry obstacles and one wet obstacle while racing although marriage isn’t really a necessity. To compete, the “wife” needs to weigh at least 108 pounds and be at least 18 years old.

The majority of alcohol consumed by Finns comes from state-run liquor outlets

In contrast to the US, only the state-owned liquor store Alko sells drinks with an alcohol concentration of 5.5 percent or more to Finns. According to Alko’s website, “microbrewery beers and Finnish farm wines” are the only exceptions to this regulation.

On national holidays such Easter Monday, Midsummer Day, Christmas, and New Year’s Day, Alko stores are closed.

People from Finland usually don’t cut each other off in conversation and are at ease with quiet

It’s not precisely well known that Americans are silent types. Rather, we talk over each other during lively talks and fill in the silences, earning ourselves a reputation for being chatty and noisy.

However, in Finland, it’s customary to tolerate quiet during a conversation and unpleasant to interrupt, illustrating a cultural difference that prioritizes listening over speaking. In “A Guide to Finnish Customs and Manners,” Finland wrote this.

They consume reindeer

While Americans may primarily associate reindeer with Rudolph, the meat is a common delicacy in Finland and other Nordic nations.

According to Visit Finland, mashed potatoes are frequently served with reindeer meat, which is consumed all year round throughout the nation.