One of Finland’s most inspiring celebrations arrives every year on December 6: Independence Day. (Try pronouncing it in Finnish, Itsenäisyyspäivä; or in Swedish, Självständighetsdagen.)
Finnish Christmas spirit brightens Helsinki streets for holiday season
As the winter days grow shorter in Helsinki, the city bursts into light, and the Christmas season brings warmth, music and thousands of twinkling bulbs.
The key to Finnish happiness may be people helping each other
At a blood donation centre, we find an example of Finnish talkoohenki, the community spirit of helping each other. As our video conveys, it could be a contributing factor to Finnish happiness.
The Northern Lights are visible for human eyes only when it’s dark and the sky is clear and cloudless. In northern Finland they can be witnessed from late August until early April.
Staying playful: A Finnish artist combines fatherhood with creative freedom
Everyone’s an artist in Teemu Keisteri’s family, no matter if they’re four or almost 40. Father and son get creative together and explore Finland’s vibrant children’s culture scene.
What one person’s path to speaking Finnish reveals about life and language
For polyglot Irina Pravet, learning a language isn’t just about grammar. She sees knowing Finnish as a way to belong – and that’s something you don’t find in textbooks.
Libraries the Finnish way: welcoming, wild and wonderful
From reading dogs to 3D printers, Finnish libraries are reinventing what it means to be the home of learning and information. Here are some activities you can do in many Finnish libraries.
Heads up for Helsinki’s urban overstory: Lions and gargoyles and bears, oh my!
If you elevate your gaze, Helsinki’s architecture contains surprising details. Mythical creatures, solemn figures and watchful animals perch high above street level.
How Finnish glass design enchanted the world and keeps evolving
From kitchen cabinets to museum displays, Finnish glass design turns everyday objects into timeless art. Our reporter visits Finland’s last remaining glassworks and explores how a small country became a powerhouse of modern glass design.
Trams carry the future in Helsinki and elsewhere in Finland
From the hum of the motor to the clatter of the tracks, people connect Helsinki’s trams with modern daily life and historical memories. This mode of transport will play a central role in the future of the capital and other cities in Finland.
Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory might seem like a bunch of humble buildings in the middle of nowhere. However, a team of top scientists works there to unravel the mysteries of the Northern Lights. The director, space physicist Eija Tanskanen, has good news for aurora spotters: the active years have just started.
Nature photographers find a haven in Kuusamo, northern Finland
With its rugged fells, ancient forests and mirror-like lakes, Kuusamo offers nature photographers a front row seat to the magic of Finland’s wilderness.
Spotlight on Vörå, Finland: the local impact of KAJ’s Eurovision success
The Swedish-speaking Finnish trio KAJ represented Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest with a cheerful sauna song that was the hot favourite to win the final last May. In the end, they came in fourth – but they went from local heroes to viral international phenomenon, transforming their home village in the process.
