Page 43 - 樂善堂梁銶琚學校（校刊2019）

Reflections on Finnish

general aspects Culture

of Finland

C & MA Sun Kei Primary School (Ping Shek)
HKMLC Ming Tao Primary School
Man Kiu Association Primary School

Without a doubt, we thoroughly enjoyed
our recent exchange trip to Finland with the
Subsidized Primary Schools Council. We have

come to an understanding of why Finland is
ranked as the world’s happiest country in a
United Nations report published this year.

Uniqueness of Finnish

Finland is one of the most ethnically and
culturally homogeneous countries in Europe.
In spite of this, Finns have been quick to

incorporate ideas and impulses from Russia,
elsewhere in Scandinavia and continental Europe, particularly in the arts, music, architecture and
the sciences. In each case, however, these influences have evolved into a form that is typically
Finnish. Despite having strong neighbours to both east and west, Finland has remained distinctively
different. The Finnish language is part of the Finno-Ugric language group. It belongs to the Uralic

language family which makes it quite unique since most European languages are part of the Indo-
European language tree.

Experiencing Nature
It is easy to enjoy nature in the Land of a Thousand Lakes, as the country holds the record for
having the most lakes and islands.
The Finns feel so strongly about
spending time outside in a way that

does not harm nature or others
that they have created “everyman’s
rights” (jokamiehen oikeudet), a

set of rules that actually form an
integral part of Finnish culture and
legislation. According to “everyman’s
rights”, Finland is one of the best
places in the world for spotting the

aurora borealis.

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