Visiting in Finland? 8 Ethics your Finnish friends expect you to have

You surely already know that Finland rules but … do you really know what Finland’s rules are about? If you are planning a summer trip to Finland to visit that old Finnish friend you met when you were an exchange student, you’d better take a look at this piece before you sit at his dining table.

  • Never show up empty-handed. First of all, rush to the closest store and buy a box of chocolates, a bottle of wine or a vase of flowers to please the Finnish home welcoming you.
  • Respect Finnish traffic rules. If you walk to the shop, be careful while crossing the roads because Finnish drivers do not properly give priority to pedestrians. Make also sure you’re not walking on the bicycle paths, greatly respected in Finland, and if possible, avoid crossing the streets with red light because Finns do appreciate order – especially when they’re sober.
  • What is mine, is mine, what is yours… should be yours too! When you’re finally safe in the supermarket queue to pay for the gift you chose, pay attention (and follow suit) to how other customers automatically immediately place the small barrier on the cash conveyor, dividing their groceries from the others’.
  • Thank the ride! If you catch a bus on your way, don´t forget to thank them for the ride when you jump off, by raising your hand to the bus driver. I love this one.
  • Anteeksi, puhutteko englantia?… If you ask for help to find your friend’s house street, avoid the classic ‘Excuse me, do you speak English?’, unless you don’t mind to hear a pompous ‘Of course I speak English!…’ – I’ll never forget how uncomfortable I felt. Since the majority of Finns younger than fifty years-old speak fluent English, warm-up your speech muscles and politely ask ‘Anteeksi, puhutteko englantia?’ (Excuse me, do you speak English? in Finnish language).
  • Shoes off and kisses are for lovers. You’re finally at your friend’s door, the whole family is starring at you. By this time, you are already shoeless, right? Regarding the greetings, I expect your friend to hug you but handshake is the standard greeting among the unknown, men and women – children might think you are an alien despite the way you behave so don’t stress about the little “blondies”.
  • Silence is golden. Comfortably sitting on the sofa, you are now about to face one of the biggest challenges: the Finnish conversation. Golden rules include listening quietly, without interrupting; keeping eye contact and say nothing but the truth, and talking just the essential. Exciting, loud and egocentric speeches are definitely be avoided.
  • Self-service dining. You, as a welcomed guest, will be invited to serve yourself first. Also, unlike what happens, for example, in Portugal, where cleaning your plate of even the last crumb is considered impolite, in Finland, leaving food on your plate can only mean that you didn’t like it – so don’t do it unless you mean it.

To end your evening perfectly, before standing up from the table, don’t forget to thank them for the meal – even if your friend just ordered Chinese food and asked you to pay for it (both very unlikely) – which includes, the company, and the moment.

(Photo by Comtedurgell)

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