Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
need to jump-start it with small talk. Finns quip that they invented text messaging so they
didn't have to talk to each other, and sitting in the sauna for 20 minutes with your best
friend, saying nothing, is perfectly normal. Finns generally have a quirky, dark, self-de-
precating sense of humour and may just be saving their words for a well-timed jibe.
Not to say Finns don't talk. They do, and once they get a couple of pints of lager in
them, they really do, as that reserve goes out the window to be replaced by boisterous bon-
homie.
Finland hits the headlines every now and then for the fact that its speeding fines are
based on income. You're a multimillionaire doing 80km/h in a 50km/h zone? Expect a fine
of €100,000 or more…
In and around Helsinki, Cosy Finland (
www.cosyfinland.com
)
offers an interesting chance
to meet Finns in their own habitat. It will set you up with a dinner invitation at a multilingual
host's home, where you'll try local specialities and get to know Finland away from the
tourist beat.
Religion
The Lutheran church dominates the religious scene here, with some 78% describing them-
selves as such on a census form; the next religious group, Finnish Orthodox, makes up
only 1.5% of the population. Nevertheless, Finns have one of the lowest rates of church at-
tendance in the Christian world.
Various Lutheran revivalist movements are seeking to combat this and are often in the
news. The ultra-conservative Laestadian movement - many of whose members frown on
such evils as dancing and earrings - has many adherents, as does the charismatic church
Nokia-Missio. Almost one in 10 Finns belongs to a revivalist movement.
