The national character


Some foreign visitors may feel that Finns are shy, reserved and difficult to get acquainted with. According to a traditional saying Finns smile and laugh only when they are drunk. One has to be careful making such generalisations, though; Finns are not alike and times change.

The younger generation, consisting of multilingual travelling people, do not differ from their counterparts in other countries. Older people, especially in the rural areas, may appear a bit more reserved, this due to the fact that they seldom speak other languages than Finnish. However, once the "ice is broken" you will experience the unpretentious sincere hospitality that characterises the Finnish countryside.

Finns abroad inevitably recognise other Finns from a distance, wherever. What are we really like? Well, we think we are a fairly straightforward people: we say what we mean, and we mean what we say. You can trust a Finn's word.

We have a dislike of artificiality, of "putting on airs". In fashion, comfort is often (although not always) considered more important than looks.