art, celebrations, coffee, culture, finland, happiness, independence day, sauna, traditions

From Shock to Awe: Embracing Finland’s Unique Cultural Landscape

Finland’s culture, which is full of history, goes against the idea that it is always dark and snowy. Even though they are called “shy,” Finns are very friendly and sure of themselves. Natural beauty, like the Northern Lights, lakes, and woods, is a big part of what makes the country unique. Traditions like sauna routines ...

Viena Abdon

Helsinki, Finland.

Priceless Morality: The Finnish Belief in Honesty

The Finnish people are renowned for their honesty. A global “honesty test” conducted by Reader’s Digest in 16 cities worldwide, where wallets containing 1,400 euros, family photos, and contact details were intentionally dropped in busy streets, revealed that the people of Helsinki, Finland’s capital, were the most honest. Out of 12 wallets, 11 were returned ...

Max Lu

A man waving a Finnish flag.

National Sleepy Head Day: The History of Laziness

Looking for an excuse to sleep in? Maybe it’s time you start looking into celebrating National Sleepy Head Day. Find out what’s unique about this Finnish tradition regarding laziness and how it has legitimate roots in history. There’s an actual Finnish tradition that started in the medieval period, which is now recognized as National Sleepy ...

Mike West

Alarm clock in the foreground with a young man sleeping in the background.

Why Is Finland the Happiest Country in the World?

The 2022 UN World Happiness Report showed that Finland has ranked as the happiest country in the world five times in a row.  A lecturer, philosopher, and psychologist Mr. Frank Martela, from the Aalto University in Finland, stated that there were three things the Finnish always abided by. Is it possible that these qualities are ...

Emma Lu

Helsinki, Finland.

How Finland’s Winter War Against the Soviet Union Compares to Ukraine Today

Finland’s Winter War of 1939-1940, also known as the Russo-Finnish War, saw the tiny Finnish army take on the might of the Soviet Union’s communist army. There was mistrust between the two countries. Finland believed the Soviet Union wanted to expand into its territory, and the Soviet Union feared Finland would allow itself to be ...

David Clapp

Finnish soldiers manning a machine gun in Findland's Winter War.

Spending Time in Nature Boosts Kids’ Immunity

With the coronavirus pandemic following its course, parents are worried about their kids’ immunity and ways to boost it. This is natural given the fact that vaccination across the world is being done with a focus on the elderly and adult populations. While online classes and eating foods that boost immunity can be helpful for ...

Raven Montmorency

Two happy children playing in autumn leaves.

This Finnish Airport Is Using Dogs to Detect COVID-19

The Helsinki airport in the Finnish city of Vantaa recently began testing passengers for COVID-19 in a very unique way — by using dogs. The program is currently in the trial stage, with researchers hoping that it will provide a speedy, cheap way of COVID-19 testing. According to Anna Hielm-Björkman from the University of Helsinki, ...

Nspirement Staff

A dog standing in the Helsinki airport ready to sniff out the coronavirus.

Finnish PM: European Values Threatened

Prime Minister Antti Rinne of Finland has warned that European values are being threatened due to dismal economic growth, which is leading to the spread of extremism and populism. He was speaking at the European Parliament. A challenge to Europe Rinne started his speech by reminding the members of the EU that the union was ...

Jack Roberts

A young girl and a baby.

Ever Wondered Why Nordic Nations Are Ranked the Best Places to Live?

In the World Happiness Report 2018, the Nordic nations of Finland, Denmark, and Norway were ranked as the three happiest nations in the world. This isn’t surprising since these countries have been ranked consistently at the top in similar studies over the past few years. So why are Nordic societies considered the happiest places to ...

Jenny Low

Finnish Education Is on Top of the World

Though the U.S. is the world’s biggest economy, it does not rank at the top when it comes to quality of educational systems. That honor goes to Finland, a Nordic nation which does not follow any banding system in its schools. This essentially means that all pupils, irrespective of abilities, are educated in the same ...

Jenny Low