Culture - thisisFINLAND

Some extraordinary Finnish people you should know about (yes, they’re all women)

In honour of not only International Women’s Day (March 8), but every other day of the year, we bring you a list of remarkable Finnish women, past and present: artists, sports stars, musicians, politicians, writers and more.

Life & society Sauna

Unesco highlights the intangible but very real spirit of Finnish sauna culture

“Sauna culture in Finland” is now on the Unesco list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. What does that mean, and what does the sauna represent to Finnish people?

Arts & culture Equality

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

May 8, 2020 marks the 100th 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.

Restaurant Day

A Finnish invention allowing anyone to set up a restaurant for a day

Life & society Society

From good to “goodest”: Finland tops the Good Country Index

Finland is number one in the newest Good Country Index, which seeks to measure “what each country on earth contributes to the good of humanity.” We talk to the index’s creator, Simon Anholt, about what it means to be “goodest.”

Arts & culture Webpick

Folk meets baroque

Violinist Kreeta-Maria Kentala combines classical violin and folk fiddling on her solo album Side by Side (Alba Records, 2016). The album has won several prizes in Finland including the Classical Emma or “Finnish Grammy”.

Number of Unesco World Heritage sites in Finland

Source: Unesco

Arts & culture Webpick

City of Helsinki among the first in the world to hire Chief Design Officer

First of all, the objective of the CDO is to provide the city with visionary, creative thinking where priority is given to the users.

Christmas Finnishness

Strangest Greetings from Santa and 23 other extraordinary Finns

This December we’re proud to present an online exhibition showcasing Finland’s weird and wonderful creativity. Twenty-four artists and musicians post refreshingly unconventional Christmas messages to capture your imagination. Enjoy!

292 votes

Amount of votes Finland got when winning the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest