Finnish cousine

These are some our traditional foods from Finland. Nowadays we eat these foods around the year (except mämmi and sima). But before we ate them in certain days like May Day.

Karelian pasty a.k.a Karjalanpiirakka has rye crust and rice porrige or potato filling. And the traditional way to eat that is with eggbutter. Karelian pasties are from Karelia but nowadays every finns eat that. We have annually Karelian pasty baking competition in the summer events for example in Rääkkylä.

Flatbread a.k.a Rieska is really thin bread, which is made barley flour, mushed potatoes, little bit salt and water. It can also have wheat flour. There are difference of the flatbread in several part of Finland. Somewhere it can be thicker than in Alavieska. For example, in Nivala it is chunkier and we think that the thin flatbread is better than thick.

Mead a.k.a Sima is weet,orange and it also can has little bit alcohol. It include water, sugar, lemon and raisins, which tell when the mead is ready to enjoy. Finns do that at home, because it’s cheaper and very easy. You can also buy it from shops.

Munkki is deep-fried sweet bun coated in sugar. It can be filled with jam.

We eat munkki and mead at May Day. And we have a parties!!!

Potato. In Finland we eat potatoes almost every day. It can be mashed potatoes, oven potatoes, potato wedges… All finns  eat potatoes. We seed potatoes because it`s more cheaper than buy in shops, but we can buy them around the year from shops. New potatoes are really delicious and we eat them with the butter and dill.

Crisp bread is hard, dry bread which is made from rye flours. We eat them at school with butter. But in home we can also use cheese with the crisp bread. And in Finland we have a myth, that in prison you can only eat crisp bread without butter and drink water.

Sautéd reindeer is well known traditional food from Lapland. It’s made from steak or the back of the reindeer. reindeer meat is dark and low-fat. It’s usually seasoned with salt and pepper. Sautéd reindeer is traditionally served with smashed potatoes and lingonberry jam.

Mämmi is traditional finnish easter treat. It’s made from rye flour, water, malt and seasoned with orange peel, then baked in the oven. It may look quite off-putting, but it tastes sweet. Some people serve it with cream and sugar.

Rye bread is something unique in Finland. Rye bread is sour bread primarily made of rye but there is usually also added wheat or sometimes potato. Traditional rye bread is big, round and thick, but there is also different kind of rye breads like rye loaf for example

© Aappo Jutila, Karoliina Hannula ja Mirjami Oja

               FACTS  ABOUT  FINLAND

      People

• Population: 5.3 million, 15.7 inhabitants per km2 (40.2 per square mile)
• Life expectancy: Men 76 years, women 83 years
• Languages: Official languages are Finnish (spoken by 91%) and Swedish (5.4%). Sámi is the mother tongue of about 1,700 people, members of the indigenous Sámi people of northern Lapland
• Religion: 80.7% Lutheran and about 1.1% Orthodox. In practice society is fairly secularized

        State & Government

• Independence: Declared on December 6, 1917. Previously a grand duchy in the Russian empire for 108 years, and a part of Sweden for 600 years before that
• Form of government: Parliamentary democracy
• Parliament: 200 members in one chamber, elected every 4 years in a direct vote
• Cabinet: Multiparty coalition cabinet. The current Cabinet is run by Prime Minister Mari Kiviniemi 
• Head of State: President of the Republic, elected every 6 years, two-term maximum. Currently Ms Tarja Halonen, first elected in 2000
• International cooperation: Member of United Nations since 1955 and European Union since 1995

        Geography & Climate

• Area: 338,424 km² (131,985 square miles), the fifth-largest country in Western Europe
• Greatest length from north to south: 1,160 km (720 miles)
• Greatest width rom east to west: 540 km (335 mi)
• Capital: Helsinki (1.25 million inhabitants in metropolitan area)
• Climate: Great contrasts – cold winters and fairly warm summers

        Society & Economy

• Key features: High standard of education, social security and healthcare, all financed by the state
• GDP per capita: 34,769 euros
• Main exports: Electrotechnical goods, metal products, machinery, transport equipment, wood and paper products, chemicals
• Main imports: Raw materials, investment goods, energy, consumer goods (for example cars and textiles)
• Currency unit: Euro                                                                                           

       

Finnish forest habitat consists mainly of forests, drained swamps and lakes, as well as people's farming areas and urban nature. Different types of forest exploitation in protected areas tlands. These, as well as many production forests within areas used for relaxing with your family.                                

     

Janette ja Pirkko                                                                                                                

Customs and manners

Greeting:

When greeting, the parties shake hands and make eye contact. Handshakes are brief and firm, and involve no supporting gestures. Finns can kiss as well as the next nation, but they rarely do so when greeting. Hand-kissinq is rare. Friens and acquaintances may hug, when meeting and kisses on the check are no entierely unknow. Men very rarely kiss each other greetind, and never on the mouth in the manner of our eastem neighbour.

 

Eating and drinking:

Finnish cuisine has western European, Scandinavian and Russian elements.Breakfasr can be quite substantial. Lunch is usually eaten between 11.00 and 13.00. Evening meals at home are eaten around 17.00-18.00. Meny restaurant stop serving food about 45 minutes before they actually close, so it is worthwhile checking the serving times when booking a table. Finns drink coffee anywhere and everywhere. More coffee per person is drunk in Finland than anywhere else in the world. Alcohol comspumtion varies somewhat, according to socio-economic differences and, to some extent, by region.

The sauna:

Having a sauna us something completely natural to Finns. In Finland, both men and women bathe in the sauna, but never together except withing the family. There are no mixed puplic saunas in Finland. In a sauna people are normally naked. The sauna is no place for anyone in a hurry. When the bathing is over, it is customary to continue the occasion with conversation, drinks and perhaps a light meal. A guest’s comments on the sauna experience will be listened to with interest, after all, this is a subject that Finns never tire of talking about.

Religion:

Most Finns belong to the Evangelical-Lutheran Church while a fraction of them belong to the Orthodox Church. The number of immigrants in Finland is growing, and increasing contacts with other religions in recent years have increased the Finns knowledge if them, allthough rhere is still much to be desired in their tolerance for people with different religions and cultures. 

   

Languages:

A Finn’s mother tongue is either Finnish, Swedish(5.6% of the population are Swedish speakers) or Saami (some 8,000 native speakers). Finnish belongs to the small Finno-Ugrian language group; outside Finland it is understood (and to some extent spoken) in Estonia. And in Sweden, too, Finnish is spoken among the large number of Finnish immigrants. Finns take care of their linguistic communication by maintaining a wide range of foreign languages in the school curriculum.                                 

English is widely spoken in Finland and in the business community some companies use it as their house language. German is no longer widely taught but many Finns in their 50s or older learned it as their first foreign language at school. French, Spanish and Russian have grown in popularity both in schools and among adult learners.

Visiting:

A growing interest in cooking and wines has led to an increase in entertaining in the home. A foreign visitor need have no qualms about being invited into someone's home; he can expect a fairly relaxed and informal atmosphere, and sending or bringing a bunch of flowers or a bottle of wine for the hosts will be appreciated. A greater cultural challenge for the visitor is accepting an invitation to one of the innumerable summer dwellings that dot the seashores and lakeshores of Finland. One in four Finns owns a summer cabin, and for many, it is regarded as a second home. Sociologists like to explain that the summer dwelling is a tie that Finns maintain to their rural past; and it is true that many Finns transform into surprisingly competent fishermen, gardeners, farmers, carpenters or foresters when they withdraw to their summer homes. A guest is not expected to take part in this role-play, at least not actively. On the other hand, he is expected to submit without complaint to the sometimes primitive conditions at the summer residence, since not all of them have electricity, running water, a flushing toilet or other urban amenities Many families consider that even a TV set is incompatible with genuine summer cabin life.

Names and titles:

When introducing themselves, Finns will say their forename followed by their surname. Women who use both their maiden name and their husband's surname will state them in that order. Although Finns are conscious and proud of any official titles they may have, they rarely mention these when introducing themselves. In contrast, they do expect to be addressed by their title in professional and official contexts: Doctor Virtanen, Managing Director Savolainen, etc. Foreigners, however, are not expected to follow this practice, with the exception of the titles "doctor" and "professor" if these are known to the speaker. Otherwise, foreigners can safely address Finns using the English practice of calling them Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms, Sir or Madam, as appropriate.

 Although the use of the familiar sinä is common, using first names requires a closer relationship. It is relatively easy to get onto first-name terms with a Finn, especially if it is evident that the parties will continue to meet regularly for business or pleasure. However, it is felt appropriate that the use of first names is specifically and mutually agreed upon. The use of first names is always proposed by the older or more senior person to the junior, or, in the case of equals, by the woman to the man; the agreement is enacted by shaking hands, making eye contact, with each party saying their first name aloud, and nodding the head. Raising a toast with schnapps, wine or champagne lends a festive air to the occasion.

Tiping:

Tipping has never fitted very comfortably into the Finnish way of life. This may have originally been due to the traditions of a religion which emphasized frugality; today, the rather blunt reason for not tipping is that the price paid includes any unusual instances of service or politeness i.e. the view taken is that "service is included". Tipping does nevertheless exist in Finland, and you can feel safe that while nobody will object to being tipped, very few will mind not being tipped.                                                                                           

As a rule, service is included in restaurant bills. However, an extra service charge is often added to bills which are to be paid by a customers' employers. Those who pay for their own meals and in cash often choose to round the bill up to the nearest convenient figure. This does not require any complicated arithmetic from the customer, as no one cares whether the tip really is 10-15% of the total bill.

Tipping at hotels is fairly rare. If you know that you have caused extra inconvenience for the room cleaner, it would be regarded as an appropriate to leave a tip. Receptionists should be tipped only by long-term guests at the hotel. Like their colleagues across the world, Finnish hotel porters will be glad to be tipped the price of a small beer. It is also OK to leave a few coins on the bar for the bar staff. Taxi drivers do not expect to get a tip, but customers often pay the nearest rounded up figure to the actual fare.

Time and the seasons:

Although seasons occur everywhere, in Finland they mark the progress of the year with striking conspicuousness. Extending far beyond the Arctic Circle, Finland enjoys such extremes of temperature and daylight that it would not be too far-fetched to say that there are two cultures in Finland: one dominated by the almost perpetual daylight of the summer sun and surprisingly high temperatures, and the other characterized by mercilessly cold winters and Arctic gloom that only briefly gives way to twilight during the day.                                                                          Even though summer comes every year, it is considered so important that virtually the entire country 'shuts down' for the five or six weeks that follow Midsummer, which falls in late June. After Midsummer, Finns move en masse to their vacation homes in the countryside and those who do not spend their time out of doors, in street cafés and bars, in parks and on beaches, being social and feeling positive. It is easy for a visitor to observe that in summer Finns are especially proud and happy to be Finns and to live in Finland, and encouraging these feelings is welcome.                                                                                                 With the advent of winter, Finns close down their summer dwellings, store their boats in dry dock, put snow tyres on their cars, stash their golf gear in the basement and check their skis. Whereas the rural ancestors of today's Finns whiled away the long winter days in making and repairing tools for summer, their descendants labour in offices to make their country an increasingly efficient and modern high-tech marvel.

Festivals:

Finns like celebrations and Finland's calendar of official festivals is not very different from that of other European countries. One major difference is that the Protestant Lutheran calendar does not accommodate all the feast days of Catholic tradition.

December 6 is Independence Day, an occasion marked with solemn ceremonial observances. It is a day for remembering those who fell in the wars to protect Finland's independence, which was achieved in1917. In the evening, the President of the Republic hosts a reception for some 2,000 guests - including the diplomatic corps accredited to Finland - and watching this reception on TV has evolved into a favourite pastime for the entire nation. Visitors may find it strange that Finns have calm and serious festivities on occasions that would be boisterous and joyful in continental Europe.

In wintertime, Shrove Tuesday is just about the only festive occasion where public merrymaking can be observed, though even this is not even a pale reflection of the carnivals held in more southerly lands. Logically enough, the most flamboyant annual parties in Finland occur at a warmer time of year. May Day, internationally a festival day for workers and students, can with justification be described as a northern version of Mardi Gras, and Midsummer - the 'night of no night' - is an occasion for uninhibited rejoicing, as for most Finns it marks the beginning of summer holidays and a move to the summer dwelling in the countryside.

 Moona Alila, Anni Heikkilä ja Saija Jokela                                                          

Christmas in Finland

Christmas Eve

In the Nordic countries, the most important Christmas celebration takes place on Christmas Eve. Finnish traditions include the Christmas sauna and the preparation of Christmas dinner. The highlight of the evening comes when Santa knocks on the door and asks, "Are there any well-behaved children here?" Naturally, every home contains only good children and they all receive presents.

Finnish Christams foods are christmas ham, christmas turkey, salmon, potatoes, rutabaga casserole, carrot casserole, etc. Rice pudding is traditional Christmas food, and traditions is an almond hidden in the porridge may  be the discoverer of something fun. rosolli is mixture of beets, pickles, onion, carrot, apple and potato

Christmas tree

The Christmas tree is brought home on December 24 at the latest. A star is placed at the top of the tree and the branches are adorned with sweets, elves, stars and apples, the latter relating to Adam and Eve: In the Finnish calendar, Christmas Eve is the name day of both Adam and Eve. The rural gentry and wealthy townsfolk began to adopt Christmas trees in the 1820s.

Santa Claus

Santa Claus is the great hero of the Finnish holiday season. As just about everyone knows, he lives in northern Finland and helps spread the joy of Christmas all over the world.

Korvatunturi, the mountain in Finnish Lapland where Santa Claus makes his home, lies 1000 kilometres north of the capital, Helsinki. He lives there with his wife and hundreds of elves. From the top of Korvatunturi, they can hear the Christmas wishes of all the children in the world.

Kaisa Pokela & Saania Simi

Animals

Bear

The bear is the largest living land predator. European brown bear's length is 130-250 cm and tail length is 5-15 cm. Females weigh 60-170 (200) kg, males 100-230 (300) kg. The North American subspecies of grizzly bear and Kodiak bear can grow considerably larger and weigh up to 600 kg. The smallest sub-species is already extinct in the wild Syrian bear. Bear's coat color varies from almost black to pale fawn always up, even off-white is found now and then. Bear's ears are small and rounded, but still clearly visible. Bear has a good sense of hearing, and versatile sound selection, including, inter alia, growling and whistling sounds. Even if the bear looks clumsy, it can run the fastest, up to 60 km / h. Usually the bear is moving in the woods quietly senses alert.

In winter, bears do not move, but to sleep in hibernation. Bear's hibernation takes about half a year. Climate change is a normal winter bears a serious threat.

The bear retreats winter nest in the autumn in October-November, when food is no longer scarce. Its digestion is not efficient enough in order to obtain the necessary food crops alone. It is also not a skilled hunter, but usually eat carrion. In the spring the bear wakes up from sleep in the winter in March and April, when the sun melt the snow by the currencies of its nest. Sometimes a bear to ride up the hunger when the body of its food stocks will run out prematurely.

Reindeer

Reindeer is a typical animal in Lapland. Reindeer are horned deer, which is very heat-insulating coat. Thanks deserves fur reindeer northern cold winters. Male reindeer can weigh 90-180 kg, and the shoulder height of up to 125 cm, female deer is somewhat lower. Both sexes have antlers, which change annually. Coat color can also be white, gray / brown.

In summer, reindeer eat mostly birch leaves, moss, hay and grass, but in forests they can also be used for more varied diet, such as natural grassland plants. In the autumn deer collect spare food for the winter by eating wild mushrooms, lichen, and grasses also. In winter, when food is naturally lower, primarily looking for reindeer lichen. Also, grasses and dwarf shrubs fit for consumption of reindeer, lichen, if there is not enough available. Reindeer digestive simplify the winter and the importance of the rumen is very small. Reindeer in winter reminds monogastric animal, reindeer and winter mean weight loss and even just to survive survival. Today, increased supplementary feeding has changed the situation significantly.

Swan

Whooper swan is Finland’s national bird. Whooper swans require large areas of water to live in, especially when they are still growing, because their body weight cannot be supported by their legs for extended periods of time. The whooper swan spends much of its time swimming, straining the water for food, or eating plants that grow on the bottom.

Whooper swans have a deep honking call and, despite their size, are powerful fliers. Whooper swans can migrate many hundreds of miles to their wintering sites in northern Europe and eastern Asia.

Whooper swans pair for life, and their cygnets stay with them all winter; they are sometimes joined by offspring from previous years. Their preferred breeding habitat is wetland, but semi-domesticated birds will build a nest anywhere close to water. Both the male and female help build the nest, and the male will stand guard over the nest while the female incubates. The female will usually lay 4-7 eggs. The cygnets hatch after about 36 days and have a grey or brown plumage. The cygnets can fly at an age of 120 to 150 days.

Wolf

The wolf is a dog animals belonging to mammals, which is biologically defined by the same species as domesticated dogs. The wolf is a predator and a herd of animals.

In Finland, a female wolf in the average weight is 32 kg and males 40 kg (usually 30-70 kg). In Finland, the largest cut press wolves are a little more than 65 kg. Wolf's body length is usually 100-160 cm. Without the tip of the tail length hair is 35-50 cm.Ringing in length from 10.5 to 12 cm. The muzzle is long. Color varies from gray to brown and fawn, but can also be white, red, brown or black. White wolves are much more common in areas where land is covered with snow. The wolf is most similar to the German Shepherd dog, Alaskan Malamute and Siberian husky, but it has longer legs, smaller ears, forehead and slipped slanted eyes.

Wolves in the wild live an average of 6 to 10 years. The wolf has adapted to life in very different environments, such as the steppe, tundra, forests and even urban neighborhood, where it is consumed by human activities such as waste from landfills.

The wolf is moving at all times of the day, however, mainly in low-light and night. It lives in pairs or fathers flocks, which in Finland is the most a few individuals, an average of seven.

Predation by wolves' territory is extensive, and the animals passing through the same post-show displays their second string is often only one wolf was filed. Hunts for wolves is also used by a herd of tactics, but a lone wolf is able to pull down very large prey animals such as moose.

Females mature at one and the male age of two. Wolf herd leader usually only a couple may copulate. Rutting season is in spring (February and May in the middle), and the gestation period is 61-64 days. Parent creates litter into the ground nest in a cave, and the puppies are born completely dependent on their mothers. Litters had an average of four puppies. Manages a herd of puppies together. Puppies are born blind and helpless, like a dog's puppies. The mother suckles them, and keep good care of them. If the real mother is unable to perform his offspring, other females may take care of them.

Other herds live help feed and care of the puppies. When mother wolf is hunting, one of the flock will be handled during the time the puppies. Gregarious People also bring food for puppies as well as maternally.

Wolfs diet depends largely residential area. They eat almost whatever herbivores, small animals like rabbits and mice, and larger animals like deer, deer and moose.

Noora Heikkilä ja Iida Pudas