Winter in Finland is not just about survival, but also about pleasures
As the website "This is Finland" writes, even in winter you should live with pleasure, not just survive. Finns are helped by coffee, warm clothing, and of course, snow.
Invigorating coffee
Coffee invigorates Finns on cold, dark winter mornings, gives them energy during the day, and for many also lulls them to sleep at night. Finland consumes more coffee than anywhere else in the world. In 2004, per capita consumption of raw coffee in Finland was 11.99 kg, which averages 3.8 cups of coffee per day. For comparison, in the same year the US consumed 4.26 kg of raw coffee, the UK 2.43 kg, Sweden 8.06 kg, and Japan 3.36 kg.
In Finland, coffee is roasted light, slightly bitter for Central European taste. Its grind is quite coarse and it is usually brewed stronger in a drip coffee maker than is customary, at least in America. Usually a few lumps of sugar and a little milk or cream are added, but many drink their coffee black.
The coffee ritual is a very important part of Finnish culture. Beautiful cups are placed on the table, and pastries are served with coffee: buns, pies, cookies. Coffee adds solemnity to most family celebrations, significant events at work, and entertaining guests, and on such occasions something more festive is served with coffee: cake and sandwiches or other savory pastries.
In the old days, housewives prided themselves on serving at least seven kinds of delicacies with coffee. Coffee after church services and other church rites is such an important institution that it is jokingly called "the third sacrament of the Finnish Lutheran Church."
Finns usually drink coffee at home, at work, or in other private spaces, but café culture thrives especially in cities. American-style café chains are also quickly gaining ground.
In winter, Finns also enjoy other hot drinks: tea, cocoa, hot currant juice, and glögi, the Finnish version of mulled wine.
Hot sauna
The sauna is a national symbol of the country, and not without reason. Finland is estimated to have over two million saunas (with a population of about 5.26 million and 2.6 million apartments). The number of saunas is growing rapidly, as most new apartments in multi-story buildings have their own electric sauna.
Saunas originated in ancient times when people realized that the heat of a hearth is better preserved if stored in stones, and people practically lived in saunas. They noticed the importance of the sauna and sauna steam for washing. Saunas were used in all cold regions of Eurasia until methods of heating homes and washing facilities were improved, but in the Nordic countries and the forest wilderness of Eastern Europe, saunas remained in everyday use.
Even at the beginning of the last century, most Finnish children were born in the hygienic conditions of the sauna, and until recent decades, many Finns felt truly clean only after a sauna. Now the sauna is primarily associated with well-being.
Finns go to the sauna in the evening, after sports, after dirty work, as a sign of friendship and spiritual closeness, at the conclusion of negotiations, and in any case, every Saturday. The sauna is an indispensable part of annual holidays such as Christmas and Midsummer.
The common misconception outside Finland that people compete in the sauna in endurance against heat or hot steam is false. The best feeling is at a temperature of about 80 degrees Celsius, and it is important that the air in the sauna has the right humidity. In summer, birch whisks are used in the sauna. Whisk are also frozen or dried for winter. People go to the sauna naked, most often men and women separately, sometimes together, but in Finnish culture the sauna is essentially not associated with sex. Children also go to the sauna, and even bedridden patients in hospitals are taken to the sauna.
The sauna is good for warming fingers after frost. Here a person relaxes, indulges in silence and even the deepest sacred feelings. The sauna transports us from the hustle and bustle and conflicts of everyday life to another reality, to rest and peace.
The best place for a sauna is on the shore of a lake or sea. Of all saunas, about 600,000 are by the water, most often at summer cottages. There, after the steam room, it is good to watch the sun setting at the edge of the forest, listen to the call of the loon, and think about the wonders and beauty of the world. In winter, the pleasures of a lakeside sauna include a brief dip in an ice hole, which promotes blood circulation.
Elite saunas are smoke saunas, built on the ancient model of a hut without a chimney. The stove in a smoke sauna is large, and it is heated for hours. During heating, smoke lingers in the sauna, escaping only through small openings in the wall or ceiling and through cracks in the logs, causing the sauna to become black inside from soot. When the stove is hot, the fire is put out and the sauna is aired to remove the smoke. For some reason, the steam in a smoke sauna is particularly gentle and soft, and in the dim, smoky sauna one wants to stay for a long time. Heating a smoke sauna and taking a steam bath is a special ritual that allows people to break away from everyday worries and get closer to each other.
Warm homes
In Finland, construction focuses on developing energy-saving technologies and using renewable natural resources. As a rule, new homes have triple-glazed windows, and the most modern types of window glass capture solar energy. The outer wall structure of houses includes a dense insulation layer of at least 10 centimeters and wind protection. Old, proven technical means are also being revived: thick logs are sufficient to keep out the frost.
Just under half of Finnish real estate is heated by district heating, which is a common type of heating in populated areas. Thermal energy is produced at thermal power plants and stored in water, which travels through a pipeline system to homes and heats them. The length of district heating pipes in Finland exceeds 10,000 kilometers, more than six times the length of Finland from south to north. Water coming from the thermal power plant through the pipe at a temperature of 65 to 115 degrees, depending on the weather, heats the water circulating in the radiators, as well as the domestic water coming from the tap. The cooled district heating water returns to the thermal power plant, where it is reheated.
District heating is an efficient, economical, and environmentally friendly method of heating large volumes of real estate. Compared to separate production of electricity and heat, the district heating system saves about 30% of energy. District heating is reliable, uniform, and worry-free from the consumer's point of view: there is no need to worry about heating boilers, and possible power outages do not cool the homes.
For homes outside district heating networks, environmentally friendly heating innovations are offered. In small houses, masonry heaters are being built again, and Finland's huge forest resources are used in individual boilers heated by firewood and pellets with automatic fuel supply.
Some new homes are heated by geothermal energy: a well 50-70 meters deep is drilled in the ground, from which heat is pumped from the earth's interior. Pumps can also capture heat from the exhaust air of apartments. There is enough sunlight in Finland for use in heating, especially if combined with other methods of heat production during the darkest months. Such heating solutions require the installation of relatively expensive and high-tech equipment, but the energy itself is virtually free and inexhaustible.
Direct electric heating and oil boilers, which consume a lot of energy, mostly imported, are gradually becoming a thing of the past.
Safe Cars
Finns drive almost as much in winter as in summer, but in cold weather and on icy roads, special equipment is necessary.
The law requires Finns to change to winter tires on their cars. Driving on winter tires is mandatory from December 1 to February 28, but they can and should be used regardless of the calendar if road conditions require it. Winter tires include friction tires, which are allowed year-round, and studded tires, which are only permitted in winter. During regular vehicle inspections and police checks on the roads, special attention is paid to the condition of tires, and driving on overly worn tires can easily result in a fine.
The onset of winter on the roads always requires increased vigilance from drivers. Visibility deteriorates, roads become slippery, braking distances lengthen, and a thick layer of snow makes driving difficult. Although this repeats every year, the unchanging news on the first blizzard day is: today, the screech of metal on the highway was heard again.
An excellent aid for winter drivers is an electric block heater for the engine, which helps start the car in frost and reduces fuel consumption. At parking lots near Finnish homes, you can see drivers returning home in winter evenings plugging their cars into a power pole. Apartments usually have timers that allow setting the appropriate time to start heating the car in advance.
Most cars also have a cabin heater, which turns on simultaneously with the block heater. Standard equipment in many cars designed for the northern market includes a seat heater, which chilly Finnish drivers hold in special regard.
Snow Removal
Permanent snow covers northern Finland on average at the end of October, the south at the end of December to early January, and snow lasts until March, and in the northernmost Lapland even until June. At the latitude of Helsinki, the snow cover averages 30-50 cm, while in the north its depth can exceed one meter. In the south, there are more blizzards and the snow cover increases in a short time; in the north, snow accumulates more evenly. Severe snowstorms that paralyze traffic and the functioning of society are rare.
This is partly because Finns are always ready to fight snow. For example, in different areas of Helsinki, from late autumn, observers patrol to monitor whether snowfall anywhere exceeds the level at which snow removal must begin. When this happens, snowplows are dispatched at any time of day from depots located throughout the city and clear snow from streets according to certain priorities determined in advance. When roads and streets are slippery, they are gritted with gravel and salt. Already early in the morning, citizens leaving home can be sure that at least the main roads are in order.
The Finnish countryside is sparsely populated, and long stretches of roads are the responsibility of private landowners or road cooperatives. Snow removal is usually organized so that one of the owners with a snowplow clears the road and its approaches, and the costs are shared among all. No later than autumn, long bright poles with reflectors appear, especially along rural roads. These are snow removal markers that help snowplow drivers see where the road is and where the ditch begins in any blizzard.
Finland has a law on road maintenance. Responsibility for maintenance is divided between private landowners and municipalities.
Winter Activities
If you ask children, winter is pure joy, not a difficult season. How could it be otherwise when there is snow? Children are absolutely delighted when one day in late autumn they wake up in the morning, look out the window, and see that the first snow has fallen. They immediately rush outside to make the first snowmen.
Snow brings pleasure to adults as well. Cross-country skiing is a national sport, and almost all municipalities and cities maintain illuminated ski trails. The highlight of winter skiing activities is the annual Finlandia ski race, a 60-kilometer course that about 5,500 skiers complete. All schoolchildren have a week-long ski holiday in February-March so that families can enjoy the joys of winter sports together.
In recent decades, the popularity of slalom and other alpine skiing disciplines, especially snowboarding, has grown. The northern mountain region has 12 ski resorts offering diverse services to tourists. Further south in Finland, the most famous ski resort is Tahkovuori (about 440 kilometers from Helsinki). Smaller slopes suitable for learning this sport are located throughout the country.
Finns love and know how to skate just as well as they ski. Municipalities maintain outdoor ice rinks at school sports fields and other similar locations. Ice palaces are built even in small towns, especially if they happen to have a hockey team that performs successfully in the top national hockey league.
Seasonal Clothing
Finns do not lock themselves indoors for the winter; they spend almost as much time outdoors as in summer. Children also spend time outside: during school breaks they go out to play, and the daycare curriculum includes outdoor play in any weather. Even infants a few months old sleep outside in a stroller or on the balcony of apartment buildings during the day – and they sleep soundly!
The secret to winter walks is appropriate seasonal clothing. Underwear should be moisture-wicking and comfortable against the skin. New materials are available on the market that wick moisture to the outer layers but retain heat and keep the body dry. Over that, a middle layer is worn depending on the weather, such as fleece or, if very cold, wool. Outerwear should be windproof but breathable, and insulated depending on the weather. Children usually wear snowsuits, while adults wear pants and jackets.
Special attention should be paid to protecting the feet, hands, and head from frost. On the feet, wear moisture-wicking, non-chafing liner socks, then wool socks – preferably thick, hand-knit ones. On top of those, comfortable shoes with good thermal insulation and grooved soles for anti-slip. Nothing can ruin a winter walk as quickly as freezing fingers! Warm, comfortable mittens or gloves made of good material are worth it. A head covering should effectively protect the ears, and in very cold weather, a silk face mask, for example, is also helpful.
Now you are ready to race down the hill on a sled or go skiing!
Winter Evening Pleasures
Winter evenings in Finland are long and dark. Sometimes it is pleasant to just sit at home, sheltered from the cold and blizzards, and burn a fire in the fireplace or a candle. But on winter evenings, Finns also enjoy other activities.
What could be a better pastime than a good book? Finns are the most avid readers in the world, and this hobby is supported by a library network that covers the entire country.
On winter evenings, Finns also devote time to studying and acquiring new skills. There are about 250 folk high schools in the country, which are mainly funded by municipalities and offer a variety of courses at affordable prices: languages, handicrafts, social topics, arts, physical education – whatever is currently relevant and interests people. These educational institutions, engaged in non-governmental cultural and educational work, have a long tradition, and about 800,000 people study in their courses annually.
Finland is a promised land for associations, whose activities form a solid foundation for Finnish democracy. About 123,000 organizations are registered in the Finnish register of associations. On average, every Finn is a member of several associations. In these, people work together to improve their local area and the world in many ways: they engage in sports, culture, and local development issues, carry out cooperation projects with developing countries, care for children, the elderly, and the disabled, and, of course, have fun and meet like-minded people.
Cultural life is vibrant. Almost every city has a theater, and many have a city orchestra, with tickets for the most popular performances requiring months of waiting in line. Sports competitions, especially matches of the national hockey league, invariably draw audiences of thousands.
Cultural and sports activities do not subside in summer; they simply move to open-air venues. Summer theater and music festivals are held in scenic locations throughout the country, and winter sports give way to Finnish baseball (pesäpallo), football, and track and field.