thisisFINLAND

Tom of Finland and IDAHOTB both continue to contribute to pride and acceptance

May 8 is the birthday of Tom of Finland (1920–91), often called Finland’s most famous artist globally. Shortly after that anniversary, on May 17, the annual International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOTB) takes place.

Life & society Festivals

Finnish advice: Keep calm and Vappu on, safely

In the extraordinary circumstances of 2020, Finland’s wild, carnival-calibre celebration Vappu (known as May Day, Labour Day or Walpurgis in English) calls for unusual amounts of creativity so that people can get together while still staying apart. Vappu – this time it’s virtual.

Life & society Health

Kids ask the Finnish government questions in corona info session

For the first time ever, a Finnish prime minister held a press conference in which the journalists asking the questions were schoolchildren. Sanna Marin and her colleagues addressed the nation’s kids directly.

1917

The year Finland became independent

Arts & culture Art

Finnish museums step up their online game to meet demand

Unable to invite visitors onto their premises, Finnish museums are taking to their websites and social media to meet the demand for beauty, inspiration and ideas, bringing audiences everything from video art to VR guided tours. Here are some of our favourites.

Arts & culture Music

Bridging the social distance, Finnish musicians realign online

As tons of gigs get cancelled or postponed, relegated to an indefinite future because of Covid-19, many musicians and other performing artists in Finland are reaching their fans online, either on designated concert sites or by posting video material.

Life & society Education

As Finnish teachers move classes online, family routines change

Families in Finland and all over the world are facing new challenges. Many parents now have more experience of working from home, and many children and educators are now well acquainted with distance learning. They are wondering if they will need to use those new routines in the future.

Life & society Webpick

Finnish city of Tampere declares itself sauna capital of the world

Tampereans are known for authenticity and warmth, and the same goes for Tampere’s sauna culture. In the sauna, everyone is equal, as the Finnish saying goes, and Tampere has the largest number of public saunas in Finland. And if you’re the sauna capital of Finland, you’re the sauna capital of the world.

Life & society Equality

Happiness report elevates Finland and other Nordics, shows that people should look after each other

The annual World Happiness Report seeks to measure how happy people are in more than 150 different countries. The Nordic countries have repeatedly done well in this listing, and in the 2020 edition of the report, Finland is at the top for the third year in a row.

Days of midnight sun in northern Lapland

things you should and shouldn’t know