Finnishness Archives

9 years and counting: Finland is first in the World Happiness Report

The World Happiness Report singles out Finland as the happiest country in the world in 2026, for the ninth year running. To celebrate, we seek out people named Onni (Happiness) to ask what makes them happy (see video).

Life & society Happiness

Unpacking Finnish happiness

Happiness doesn’t just happen. In Finland, it’s the result of strong social systems and a culture of wellbeing that has been carefully built over the past 100 years.

Arts & culture Literature

8 questions on the Kalevala, the epic that shaped Finland’s identity

The epic Kalevala relates ancient tales, mainly from the Karelia region, and has become a cornerstone of Finland’s cultural identity. Its poetry has reached readers all over the world, including J.R.R. Tolkien, who took inspiration from it.

Arts & culture Music

Meet Ida Elina, Finland’s modern kantele virtuoso

When a Northern Finnish child picked up a kantele mostly to annoy her sister, no one imagined she would become one of the instrument’s boldest contemporary voices.

Life & society Winter

Finnish winter fun: Zooming across a frozen lake on an ice route

Across Finland, ploughed and marked routes on frozen bodies of water turn winter landscapes into public playgrounds. On Lake Tuusula, the atmosphere resembles a festival.

Life & society Winter

Warm, windproof and Finnish: How Finns dress for the ski tracks

People in Finland love cross-country skiing. But how should you dress for exercising in freezing conditions? We let the skiers share their best advice.

Life & society Society

Helsinki underground: Where the city plays, swims and shelters

Beneath Helsinki’s streets lies a second city that is carefully planned and actively used. From playgrounds to rehearsal rooms, the Finnish capital has turned preparedness into part of everyday urban life.

Christmas Architecture

Finnish festive homes capture readers’ hearts this Christmas

From forest cottages to historic villas, Finnish readers share the festive homes that made them stop and say: “Oh my goodness, how beautiful!”

Finnishness