Tag: Finland

Your Daily 5 Nordic Facts : Finland

northernfever1 Comment
  1. For some bizarre reason, there isn’t a single payphone in Finland.
  2. Sauna is the most used Finnish word outside of the motherland.
  3. I thought it would be Sweden, but apparently Finland has world’s highest annual consumption of milk per capita – around 1 litre per person every day.
  4. The blue of the Finnish flag represents the water of the thousands of lakes in the country, whereas the white represents snow, of which Finland sees a shit ton of in winter.
  5. Despite being the eighth largest country Europe, it’s the most sparsely populated country in the European Union.

 

Sources that helped me find this stuff: FactRepublic.com,  LandLopers.com, Quora

Your Daily 5 Nordic Facts : Finland

northernfeverLeave a comment
  1. Every year on the 13th of October, Finland celebrates an ‘International Day of Failure.’ The purpose of the day is to learn from your mistakes.
  2. Finland is called ‘The Land of the 1,000 lakes,’ but it actually has more than 188,000 lakes and 98,000 islands.
  3. In Finland, it’s normal for children read to dogs and cows to improve their self-confidence in reading and because these animals actually like listening and are extremely attentive.
  4. In Finland, speeding tickets are calculated on a percentage of a person’s wage. This means some Finnish millionaires face fines of over $100,000.
  5. The Finnish word ‘kalsarikännit’ means to get drunk at home, by yourself, in your underwear.

 

Sources that helped me find out this stuff: FactRepublic.com, Quora

Listen To A Finnish Lullaby

northernfever2 Comments

It was entirely by accident that I was introduced to Naku Naku, an ancient Finnish lullaby performed by the Finnish folk musician Merja Soria and her kantele (Finnish folk harp). Sometimes YouTube can get it so right that it almost makes up for all the adverts they inflict upon us.

I’ve been playing the track for baby bump for the past three mornings…I find it settles the restless one right down. (It might have something to do with the little bit of Finnish blood in him/her.)

Soria used to sing Naku Naku for her daughter when she was going to sleep, and her grandmother sang it to her before that.

I recorded this video last Christmas as a gift to my daughter. I wanted her to have something that would connect her to the generations of strong Finnish women that came before us.

Naku Naku was Soria’s first recording after many years of silence…and I just hope with all hope that her YouTube channel becomes a hive of musical activity,  because the north and the wider worlds needs this woman, her voice and her kantele.

– Katie / Your eyes in the north.