49 Strange Differences This American Noticed about Finland

[@chrisplusmelissa]

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[@teknoaija1762]

Sorry to say this but as an honest Finnish man,I have to say that only after first three points you showed your typical American ignorance.Firstly,nobody uses a credit card in a grocery shop.We pay debit.Secondly,we are taught proper English in schools,not raped English from US.And so on.....

[@wileycousins9209]

I've been living in Finland for over 25 years now. As an American, many of the Finnish cultural traditions had me stymied at first. Our American habit of aggressive initiative falls flat here; it's considered rude. So is our gregarious nature. Even at parties, I would be walking around introducing myself and attempting to mingle, and my Finnish wife would have to come over and tell me to sit down and be quiet. Looking back now, I cringe at all the things I didn't know. After a few years I began to grow accustomed to life here. Now I love it. The Finns value their personal space. This includes solitude from noise, which they also consider an intrusion. Now, when I visit The States, the feeling is like getting back in your car, starting it up, and having the radio blast you through the roof. Everyone sounds like they're yelling. I've grown to love my solitude. Other aspects of Finnish life I like are that everything works her. All official duties, train schedules, bus schedules, business transactions, and even the justice system works, and are there to enhance the lives of the citizens. The traditional worries that I would shoulder in America don't exist here. I don't have to worry about the financial effects of catastrophic illness, as health care is free. I don't have to save money or take out loans for my daughter's college education, because that, too, is practically free. The factory where I work bends over backwards to make my job safe and sustainable as I approach retirement. They supply all my tests in English. They even translate all the update courses for me. Their goal, as I understandvit, is to make sure I remain employed, which they do for all citizens. The Finns appreciate accuracy. When they say that they'll arrive at five, they arrive exactly at five; not 4:49. Not 5:01. When I generalize, my wife corrects me.....as do my friends. For instance, I have diesel car. I will say that I'm gonna go get gas for the car. Ears will perk up and someone will say, "Why are you putting gasoline in a diesel car?" Punctuality, honesty, directness, minimalism, humility, stoicism, and efficiency are all deeply admired traits for Finns. I love it here.

[@chrisplusmelissa]

Oh my, thank you for your perspective. That's very interesting. It sounds like the right way to do things in so many ways. We've been living in Portugal for 9 months now and do love the different pace of life here. We're about to go back to the USA for a visit... and we're wondering what we're going to think of it.

[@B1gLupu]

If we say we will arrive at five, most of us will be there 5 minutes before. If you are not there at like 3 minutes past, we'll prolly call you 😅 If you are too early, you waste your time. If you are late, you waste the time of the other person.

[@thomasbarchen]

You did well to escape the US 25 years ago! I did the same but landed in Berlin. Finland seems more appealing to me at this point.

[@abcd-gd1th]

I see what you sayed through my daughter. She wanted to move to US but ended up in Finland and fell in love with this country, doesnt want to move anywhere.

[@surfsusan]

I love Finland too and have lived here for 12 years. I have one question, how do you get free healthcare here? I pay every time I go to a health care center or hospital. I’m Danish and all healthcare is paid be the taxes.

[@pasiojala3227]

"Ladders" in bathrooms are probably: towel drying -- the pipes have hot water circulating. Ladders outside of houses: multistory buildings need emergency fire escapes, also if up to the roof for chimneysweeps and dropping snow. Bidee showers have become the norm since 1980's. The "exit" on the bathroom was more about the lock, not direction of where to exit the stall... "oven aukaisu" means "opening the door". You missed the chance to try salmiakki ice cream. Props for learning the Finnish pronunciation of sauna.

[@magicofshootingstar]

If you watched the video, the ladders in bathroom were actually ladders, not drying rack 😄

[@pasiojala3227]

@@magicofshootingstar There is a water tank above (but we don't see the ceiling to the right of it), so if they are ladders, they may not lead anywhere. Also, flimsy-looking for ladders. But, not enough information.

[@karenneill9109]

The ladders in the bathroom are fire escapes, too. They hook over the window sill. In taller buildings the ladders are often rolled up in a bag somewhere in the room.

[@tommi7554]

@@magicofshootingstar yeah, well they are more like decorative "ladders" which are indeed used for towels and other wet clothes to dry....

[@CultOfMU]

@@magicofshootingstar those ladders looked more like a drying rack though. Very narrow and thin metal steps.

[@HoseTheBeast]

Don’t every towel everywhere in the world have loops? Am I crazy?

[@chrisplusmelissa]

Unfortunately they do not. 😊

[@dannil9878]

That is crazy. A really helpful feature

[@ktimantti]

I havent seen towel without loops 😳 crazy

[@cherryc177]

Unfortunately not, for ex; my zara towels don’t have, but h&m towels have etc.

[@kukaliemikalie8157]

I asked myself the same question

[@JDelwynn]

I don't think Finnish teens need to sneak out, a boyfriend/girlfriend staying overnight at each others is pretty common. There's this little anecdote about the filming of the movie "Nightmare on Elm Street 4", when they were still rewriting the script during shooting, the director Renny Harlin (a Finn) suggested that one of the characters could stay over at their boyfriends. This was quickly shot down however, because the director didn't realize there's a cultural difference. I don't know, maybe the Finnish are a bit more relaxed about human nature I guess...

[@jenh8015]

If you're ever in Finland again observing the small details of life, please check out how most doors have a built in safety feature. They open in what I like to call 'the direction of panic'. In case of a fire they open in the direction you would use to get out of harm's way. (outwards if you are in an apartment, inwards if you are on a balcony since you need to get in to the apartment to get to the stairway and outwards if you're in a public building because you need to get out to the street). A neat and not always noticed security feature applied to most buildings.

[@justskip4595]

There's other things about the doors like the hinges are on the inside, in the inside on hinges there's usually metal lugs that go into the frame etc and these are going to make life of a burglar harder. Also locks being high quality.

[@TrinaKristina]

Also a Finnish safety feature... All big cities have underground bunkers. They are used daily as sports halls, parking garages, ect but they are also for use in case of war, threat or nuclear emergency.

[@EpicHashTime]

@@justskip4595 It is literally impossible to kick in a Finnish door.

[@aarepelaa1142]

Hmm, in my house I don't remember the English name for the spot that's usually right after the front door where you put stuff like your shoes and jacket. But that spot has the door open inward, mostly because there's just no room it's like a crammed 1,2m long 1m wide hallway and if it opened i ward the entire room would pretty much be used up.

[@aarepelaa1142]

@@EpicHashTime unless it's an indoors door.

[@Randomizer939]

21:54 Da Capo means "again from the beginning": "Da Capo was born based on the idea of recycling, when liquor confections found to be defective in quality control wanted to be reused. They were melted and rum was added as a spice to the mixture, because it balanced the flavor of the liqueur. During production, the Da Capo mass is boiled to 110 degrees, when most of the alcohol evaporates." 😉

[@karirautio]

Da Capo went on sale already in 1916.

[@omiq7761]

I remember hating these as a kid, but after cool 20 years or so, I've grown to love rum... and to my surprise Da-Capo was fine too :D

[@jyrkiniinisto2465]

As a Finn, I enjoyed watching this. Insightful and factual observations that interested me as well. I could easily identify with most of their opinions. A positive couple who clearly enjoyed making this video. Welcome to Finland again!😀

[@chrisplusmelissa]

Glad you enjoyed it and thank you! We hope to come back again soon.

[@AnthonyManzio]

@@chrisplusmelissa That ladder like thing in a bathroom area is a combination towel rack and heater. The heater is generally used to warm and/or dry the towels but can also lend to taking the chill off the bathroom

[@mia-marieauriell4494]

Just went walking into woods, it was a local ”nature path.” Having walked some 30 minutes we arrived to ”laavu” it is wooden building where we could even have camped. Now, this was miles away from cities etc. Yet their was wood available for fire, water, a bathroom, a shovel and -tadaa- even binoculars!!! All free to use. And btw, the bidee shower is not just in hotel bathrooms, they are everywhere in Finland.

[@MikkoRantalainen]

18:20 If you go to Northern Finland, the sun rises around May and sets next time in August. However, during the middle of the winter, the sun may rise around 10:30 and set around 13:30. And the rest is very dark (only stars and maybe the moon).

[@Hippinaama]

I have to say it's the most observed visit to Finland....ever 😀

[@chrisplusmelissa]

It is my duty to observe and observe some more. 😁

[@pinkyellowblue007]

@@chrisplusmelissa So you're a spy ?

[@chrisplusmelissa]

Far from it.

[@kespa25]

@@chrisplusmelissa hmm what would spy answer ;D just kidding

[@deke6x]

Very interesting and fun video. I visited twice many years ago. 😊

[@finnishculturalchannel]

When there's a floor drain in the bathroom, that bidet shower is handy when cleaning the bathroom. That ladder in bathroom is a towel rack. There's two kind of ladders outside the buildings; for climbing to the roof and to get out in case of a fire. The latter usually are difficult to climb up, you can just climb them down enough so you won't hurt yourself jumping down. You can usually ask your pizza to be sliced. Unsliced is probably so default, they don't even ask, if you want yours sliced. There's saunas everywhere and in everything. There used to be one in a Burger King in Helsinki. Needless to say, the only one in the world. If there's some Guinness World Record relating sauna, it's probably made in Finland. Karaoke records at least used to be there too. Design is one of those things, which put Finland on the map, so people know and value good design. Designers like E.g. Alvar and Aino Aalto, Ilmari Tapiovaara and Tapio Wirkkala. Wood have traditionally been a Finnish building material. There's also some Finnish-American designers, like Eero Saarinen, whose works include the St. Louis' Gateway Arch. Also the America's oldest log cabin, C. A. Nothnagle Log House in New Jersey, was built by Finnish settlers. Wood based products are perfectly eatable too. Juniper E.g. is good for flavoring and Xylitol is good for the teeth. Melissa might be interested in Sahti: "Brewing Nordic Brewing Sahti At The Ale Apothecary". If Chris is into drumming, he might enjoy checking out a drummer called Kai Hahto. Traditionally Finns don't look kindly on boasting. A Finnish poet Eino Leino wrote: "Whoever is happy should hide it." There might be some "Progress ends with contentment" thinking behind that also. Especially during winters, silence is everywhere. It helps, if you can embrace it. Then in spring and summer there's sounds you can not help not to stop and listen. Those Fazer's chocolate bars are oldies. That fruity one, Jim is from 1958. Da-Capo, with rum truffle filling, is from 1916, and it's the Fazer's first ever chocolate bar. Fazer was also the company to come up with the idea to put sal ammoniac into candies. In all, it's interesting how foreigners notice things the locals take for granted, like silence. Glad hear you enjoyed your stay in Finland.

[@pekkaporsliini606]

I believe there has to be a drain If there's Any sort of water inlet in a room. Which makes it very useful to have a shower there. I'd love one in the kitchen If the floors would be up to it.

[@lbh704]

Pretty much every newer or recently renovated apartment has heated floors in bathrooms. It's not just for comfort, but to prevent mold. Also having heated floors in your whole house is also very common here.

[@lbh704]

Also if you get twins you will get three baby boxes! And I think for triplets it's 5 boxes. That's because parents will have their hands full and there's less time for laundry. You can also take 170€ instead of the box but the box is worth a lot more. We had twins and we chose to take two boxes and instead of the third box we took the money.

[@chrisplusmelissa]

Twins are a lot of work! I Chris, have been through it. Would have been nice to have gotten some baby boxes. :D

[@magicofshootingstar]

@lbh704 Little correction: all the new apartments have heated bathroom floors. If it's built, let's say, before 2000's, it's not as common 🙂

[@jokuvaan5175]

Yea. Mold loves cold and moist air. Heating prevents outside air from getting in houses

[@BeetleJuiceFromHell]

Mihin perustuu tämä tieto? Mulla on nyt lattialämmitys vessassa mutta oon asunu n. 20 asunnossa ennen tätä eikä oo koskaan ollu. Enkä muista että missään kyläpaikassa ois ollu..

[@1andonlyMiro]

The proper way of pronouncing sauna. Bravo. Love it.

[@joonas1396]

Those shiny people were part of the Helsinki Samba Carneval, the actual carneval was just around the corner but they had to walk down that road to get back to the start.

[@lanebashford3982]

They aren't ladders. They're towel drying racks. They had them everywhere, in Lapland hotels too. Great for drying out your towels or even your skiwear if you need to dry it.

[@k.l.7788]

In this case they were for your clothes.

[@Viper87th]

and when they put heat to the "ladders" like here in Norway, the clothes/towels real dry fast :)

[@beatnik6806]

​@@Viper87ththey do it in Finland too it's usually hot water circulating it

[@ErisstheGoddessofmanhwas]

As someone who was born in a European country , I don't find anything weird. Even in Finland I haven't visited. Everything is logical.

[@vanyadolly]

Maybe that's the cultural difference with the US.😄 Finns are very practical

[@butterflies655]

European countries can be very different from each others.

[@ErisstheGoddessofmanhwas]

@butterflies655 I have loved at least at 4 of them, and they were the same .

[@torpmorp1324]

@@ErisstheGoddessofmanhwas Well, there are differences between north an south, at least.

[@TuplaKakku]

The ladder outside the building is a safety equipment in case of fire. Finland has very high regulations regarding firesafety.

[@inkalapointe7600]

Hi! I’m Finnish/American, in my 20s and I’ve been living in Finland most of my life - this was very interesting to watch as I’m always curious about the opinions of Americans when they visit this beautiful place. Thanks for visiting and sharing your experience! In Finland, when it comes to learning English - some people learn with British english and some with American. Sledge is an example of UK english, so for example as someone like me with an American dad I grew up using “sled”. And in Finnish it’s kelkka. But the English word depends on how you learned English. “Butt hoses” are obviously for washing downstairs when needed, not really any name in english for these but in Finnish the official name is “alasuihku”, roughly translating to “lower shower”. And the more popular name used is “pillupuhelin”, meaning pussyphone… Onto the toilet ladder. It’s definitely not a ladder. It’s for drying towels and is very common in all living spaces, not just hotels. Same as saunas, they are in almost all of not every building in Finland. “Finland is the happiest country” will commonly be misunderstood because people will always say “well if u ask a Finnish person they’ll disagree” - because the happiness is measured by quality of life, not by how happy people look or how often they say hi to strangers - there’s surveys filled out by Finnish citizens asking about how good life is in terms of healthcare, accessibility to various services, school, child care, organization, safety etc etc. Most people immediately assume every living being in Finland is overfilled with joy every day... Idk about others but to me that sounds near impossible :D I assume the reason Finnish people disagree with the statement is because most people walk around with a serious face because like you said, they prefer to keep to themselves and are just focused from getting from point A to point B. And the lack of uncut pizza is very annoying doesn’t matter where you go!! Thanks again for sharing your observations and hopefully you learned some new things!

[@chrisplusmelissa]

Thank you for the detailed information!

[@skebaba918]

In regards to the happiness survey data, they are already biased/compromised because of the wording of the questions asked not being tailored for each nation's mindstate & linguistics. When someone is asked about "happiness", how they answer will depend on how their word for "happiness" is perceived in-group wise. See for example the difference between "happiness" and "being content", some nations have these essentially be synonymous depending on the case, while others have them be radically distinct. Finland rates so high in the happiness metrics because of most people falling under the latter rather than the former POV, where it's easy to be happy if you are content w/ minimal conditions etc (kinda like how a serf would be content with their life despite being essentially a pseudo-slave, because they are locally satisfied with their own conditions)

[@explorersara]

Usually those recruiters on the streets are for different charities asking for you to donate. Could also be selling things usch as newspapers or electricity.

[@katriarjava658]

The bidet shower can be found in almost all Finnish homes and most public toilets. It is especially appreciated by the ladies. And Fazer is pronunced fatser. The letters in Finnish have only one way to say them. ( Actually the Fazer family came from Switzerland.)

[@jussiautio8454]

And the bidet showers nickname actually is similar to butthose, but not quite... it's called pussy phone or pillupuhelin.

[@ristovirtanen6396]

And the stress in always on the first syllable.👍 It’s HELsinki, not HelSINki!😠 And its Swedish name Helsingfors is abbreviated from: Hell, sing for us…😉

[@LegoGBlok]

False. Bidet showers are a not a common thing is Finland. Ive never seen one, nor have i heard that those are everywhere here in Finland.

[@ristovirtanen6396]

Not common in older houses but my bathroom was reworked five years ago and bidet shower was standard part in the renovation🤔👍

[@duckeh1952]

@@LegoGBlok yes those are. Quite standard on houses (ofc you can have one without) and every women's toilet, every booth has one. Hotelsrooms have it. Most apartments in cities have it. I have two toilet seats in my house..one has it, the otherone does not.

[@ullasofia9432]

It's wonderful that you pronounce the word "sauna" correctly!!!

[@SimoExMachina2]

They will cut the pizza if you ask them to. Some places do it automatically, but in most places you have request your pizza to be violated with a knife.

[@janiletoff6430]

i hava takean 1 or 2 pizza in diffrent countries in eoropa.they never slised.

[@herrakekkonen]

And in many places they won't cut it. But they will give you a knife to cut it yourself. "Pohja kastuu jos pizzan puolittaa".

[@mikoske]

Cool video! Sledge is the British English word for sled. Probably everything official is in British English as it is taught here, however we are also taught differences between British and American English. I speak a mix of the two as I learned British and then American has more influence over the TV/movies/internet. There were definitely a few abnormal things on the list! I would make a correction that there are no recruiters on the streets, usually they are trying to sell something or get you to donate to something. For ladders it is just easy to build it into the house to use it. In many homes you need to get on the roof to get the snow down if there is heavy snowfall during winter. No idea about the ladders in bathrooms. We also have some orange and pineapple robots in some supermarkets. Sometimes the towels indeed disappear too quickly. The bathroom exit was marked because there were two locks in the door, so you know which to use. Bad translation, Finnish said "open door." Salty licorice ice cream is the best thing ever. Also shiny people are not too common, maybe there was some event. Usually if you see something funny, it's going to be a bachelor party.

[@Gibbetoo]

that "ladder" is an towel drying rack, there are heated ones too.

[@webbtrekker534]

When I visited in 1975 my younger cousins were warned by their teachers not to speak English with Americans as we "didn't speak it right" but they loved dressing like us and listening to our music. 🙂

[@mikoske]

@@webbtrekker534 haha

[@Gibbetoo]

@@webbtrekker534 why would they do that?

[@Gibbetoo]

@@webbtrekker534 my teacher too spoke perfect English like a posh lady.

[@catherinejewell8538]

I lived in Finland from 1967-1969. It was fun hearing all these interesting differences.

[@Suvikki74]

A sledge is kelkka in Finnish. The ladder is for your towels to dry on. The literal meaning of cinnamon bun " korvapuusti" means a slap on an ear. The plaster is marenki, it is made of eggwhites, sugar, vinegar or lemon juice, then dried in an oven. I think it is originally French. The babybox comes with a condition,; they want to monitor the development but hey, universal healthcare. Da Capo is a rum-flavored chocolate. You missed the public healthcare, public libraries with computers ( it is in law to have access to internet) and babies having naps outside all the seasons ( I survived, it gives babies a good quality sleep at winter too.) There is no bad weather, only wrong clothes!

[@Motbilder]

Sledge is closer to the Swedish "Släde".

[@Atomisti]

Pulkka, rather, is the thing kids are transported with.

[@anu83]

@@Atomisti And pulkka is also a finnish invention.

[@anu83]

Marenki in english is Meringue.

[@michaelholopainen2822]

"Sledge" is what it is called in proper English language, in Murica they call it "sled".

[@VonArmagedda]

Well, it's not really that big of a suprise that there are saunas everywhere in Finland, afterall, it's the Finlands oldest tradition, dating back to bronze age.

[@jarnomuurimaki2539]

@@VonArmagedda and there's 1,5-2million saunas in finland 😆

[@ventusastrea3850]

We do not have anywhere bidet, as with hose our toilets become bidets, so it's not only in hotels, it's literally in every home in Finland where you can find that little hose.

[@tepa8796]

6:30 you can put towels on to those ladders and if you do they can dry on them

[@Aquelll]

Most restaurants do cut the pizza, but you have to specifically ask for it. Because it is popular in Finland to eat pizza with fork and knife.

[@verttikoo2052]

Exactly. You have to ask for it. They will happily do that. I never want to have my pizza sliced because I eat the pizza with fork and knife. With sliced pizza possibility for the pepperoni to jump off the slice is much higher than when it is properly secured with the fork.

[@magicofshootingstar]

Some comments from a Finn: Wait, you don't have loops for your towels other places? 🤔 Why? That's the easiest way to hang them, home or hotel 😃 "Butthose" I at least call "hand(held) shower" if translating directly to English. They are good beside personal hygiene to also help clean the bathroom and also fill bucket for cleaning etc. Oh and I wouldn't suggest going into train toilet without shoes (except if you travel in sleeper car which has private toilet for the cabin), so I newer knew they had heated floors. I have never seen lap desk but I have never been in coworking space. Single blankets are so also because if one is hotter than other at nights, they can have different thickness of blankets on their side 🙂 I have never seen that kind of ladder in bathroom before 🤔 Nor paperbags in toilet bins but again, I rarely stay in hotels. 😄 Those areas that sun doesn't come up during winter have lot of snow. Snow reflects all the light from moon and streetlights etc. so it's light but the autumn/spring if there is not yet/not anymore snow it's dark. Even in places that still get sunlight some amount during the day. This was fun to see what kind of things you picked up 🙂 Just know that Helsinki is not the whole Finland (if you only stayed there). Rest of the Finland is lot more sparsely populated and it shows on people. Helsinki is our "big city" even if it's small compared to the other countries big cities 😃

[@timoterava7108]

Helsinki indeed is different. Many (myself included) think that it is not really Finland at all - at least anymore.

[@repa999]

i know the butt hose as pussyphone

[@mwtrolle]

7:14 #15 We also have a rule in Denmark that have to be ladders on the outside of buildings to escape fires or they are more than one floor, in some taler and old buildings they have two stairways instead and in newer tall buildings they have only one stairway but made to withstand even the highest temperatures in a fire and with no materials that can burn.

[@petergomez9176]

Another awesome video. You both are so fun and enjoyable to watch. I truly love the way you can educate, observe, critique, and yet do it in a pleasant and entertaining way. 😊 Keep them long or short videos coming.🤗

[@chrisplusmelissa]

Thanks so much!

[@is200tt]

#21 Those ’reqruiters’ you mentioned, we call as a ”feissari”, short from face-to-face fundraiser. But they are not necessarily neither, reqruiting nor fundraising. They can just be handing out flyers e.g. to a party, stand up gig or an exhibition, or offering a better deal for your electricity or a mobile subscription. Helsinki (and prolly many other Finnish cities as well) also has free-of-charge Tourist Guides for the tourists’ aid.

[@jaakkomantyjarvi7515]

16:10 Obscure exception to building signage free-for-all: Lasipalatsi ('Glass palace') in the very centre of Helsinki is a 1930s Functionalist building with restaurants and an art museum. It's a protected building, and one of the requirements is that all the signage on the building has to be made of ye olde neon tubes.

[@pvdogs2]

In the pic it looks like the ladder is attached to something at the top. Was it a towel warming rack? Were your plaster cookies actually meringues? Scotland also has baby boxes that include items for mom.

[@chrisplusmelissa]

The plaster pastries I assume were meringues... I just have never seen meringues done that way before.

[@nelltheretrogamer]

The cinnamon rolls are not turned sideways, they are baked that way. The dough is spread into a big flat square with a rolling pin, then they sprinkle the cinnamon all over it, and then it is rolled up like a swiss roll. But then it is cut into pieces in a zigzag way so that next cut always goes to a different direction than the previous one. When they come out of the oven, they look like in your picture. The people who are "recruiting" on streets are trying to get people to become monthly donors to the charity that they represent. They offer you several different options, like would you want to donate maybe 5 euros or maybe 10 euros a month. If you agree to it, then they write down your account number & other stuff and arrange it and the money gets donated automatically every month. Several organizations do this, the guy on the video seems to be wearing a Greenpeace vest.

[@lisacosta8876]

#12, ladders in the bathroom. Could they be to hang your towels to dry so you could reuse them? Or could they be towel warmers?

[@Harmitaako]

Im a Finnish person who have lived the most of the times in "northern" Finland ( Visited maybe twice in Helsinki) and 65% of the things you have listed was new to me too jeez :D. But you guys should visit some other cities and places too than Helsinki. Like Tampere, Oulu, Rovaniemi and if you have time then even Inari. Great places and on the way you could really get to know different lifestyles and cultures we have in here :)

[@chrisplusmelissa]

Hopefully we can some day. I remember going through Tampere on the train and thinking that it looked like an amazing city. We did get to spend and afternoon in Rovaniemi. It too seemed like a nice place.

[@OccasusRaven]

18:20 In summer, when it doesn't get dark even at midnight, it's called the midnight sun here in Finland.

[@marsukarhu9477]

The ladders are to hang cloths and towels and they are most often heated too so that the towels dry faster... and of course there are saunas everywhere in Finland, sauna is a Finnish invention after all :D

[@EattinThurs61]

Nåja, the Finns just did not follow the ban on bathhousees that the Swedes followed...being on the other side of the sea made it easier for you to ignore silly laws.

[@1andonlyMiro]

The heated floors in toilets/showers are for drying the floor. As the temperature differences in Winter/Summer are big, it puts high demands on the structures of buildings to both insulate yet still breath so they don't create damp areas leading to severe health issues through air quality. When the floor of the toilet dries faster and the air circulation works as intended it keeps the air quality good.

[@LuonFoto]

The "ladder" is the place to put a wet shower towel to dry. The tubes are usually headted too so it dries faster.

[@k.l.7788]

Hopefully you visited Fazer Cafe which IMO have one of the best pastries and coffee in Helsinki.

[@chrisplusmelissa]

Did not visit it, but walked by it many times ... maybe next time!

[@bettyhappschatt3467]

The flattened Finnish cinnamon roll is called 'Korvapuusti' which means 'Slap on the ear'. Finnish people consider the small Salty Licorice candies and Plain Licorice two different sort of candies. The Salty licorice is called Salmiakki and the salty flavour is ammonium chloride. The black lozenge shape means it is Salmiakki candy. There are, of course, licorice (lakritsi)candies that are seasoned with a small amount of ammonium chloride. Most Finns like ammonium chloride: we fill chocolate -bars with Salmiakki, we put it in ice cream and there is a drink called Salmiakki-Kossu = ammonium chloride candies dissolved in Koskenkorva, which is 40% spirit.

[@Vihtori_Lettunen]

About ladders on houses: It's mandatory to have fixed ladder going to roof if you have a fireplace like most houses in Finland do have. It's so that the chimney sweeper can get to the roof safely as it is mandatory to have your chimney and fireplaces cleaned and inspected by professional once a year or your fire insurance is invalid. Those ladders that come from a second floor are ofcourse fire-escape ladders. Don't know if they are required by law since not my area of expertise as a ex chimney sweeper. :D

[@ChristianJull]

Many shops/cafes sell bottled alcoholic drinks, BUT 5.5% or less only. Higher percentage alcoholic bottles can only be sold by the state regulated Alko stores.

[@mwtrolle]

3:15 #7 if you have to have heat anyway why not in the floor where there are usually the coldest. Here in Denmark many new buildings have heat in all floors as the main heading source. In Iceland, they have headed sidewalks and driveways, but obviously, they also got limitless almost free thermal energy. Much easier and more effective than having to clear them by hand or with a machine.

[@jounisaari9471]

We have some heated sidewalks and even soccer fields. They use the returning heat from regional heating from combined electricity and heat power plant.

[@jokuvaan5175]

Was an entertaining video. You two are great. Doing things your own way :D

[@chrisplusmelissa]

Thanks so much!

[@thedudefromrobloxx]

The ladder was propably meant to be a drying rack for towels 6:20, I'm guessing because thats weird lol

[@formatique_arschloch]

Never ever in my over 40 years living all over Finland have I seen those shiny people😅

[@chrisplusmelissa]

You are saying they are not always walking around?!? 😂

[@Nakkisampyla]

@@chrisplusmelissa Those are foreign entertainers giving performances in Helsinki, mostly in summertime

[@webbtrekker534]

My family is of Finish extraction. My grandfather moved here in 1902 and grandmother in 1905. They came from the Swedish speaking part of western Finland. (Vasa area). I visited in 1975. I'm sure much has changed in the years since. I've heard Swedish all my life by the parents never taught any of us kids the language. I was in Finland for 3 weeks and visiting tons of relatives. and hearing the language and same questions every day and the same translations. By the the time we were to leave I found I was dreaming in Swedish. I still have cousins in Finland I talk with from time to time.. It was interesting hearing about what you found interesting and I have to agree with you. Yes, Design is very important. Their fabrics and glass industries are among the top in the world.

[@chrisplusmelissa]

Thank you fro sharing your memories and thank you for watching. :)

[@Itapirkanmaa2]

Etelä-Pohjanmaa saw in general much people emigrate. The area was both badly hit by the 1850s-60s cold weather catastrophe where farms would often be sold at rock bottom prices or deserted, while many people had the general knowledge and the economic means to migrate. The previous migrants drew more people to do the same towards the 1900s. Of course they would not have known then that the cold little ice age climate disaster would not continue further but improve gradually until the 1920s. Within Etelä-Pohjanmaa the Swedish-speaking coastal strip further saw the most of the migration in relative terms. Many people think the Swedish speakers would be genetically or otherwise dissimilar to the Finnish speakers, but they are not. We would be likely 5-10th cousins with you. Everyone from the area is related to everyone else to some extent.

[@Mabswer]

@@Itapirkanmaa2 ah the good old mount Tambora eruption that kicked up enough ash to cooldown the globe for several dacades

[@Itapirkanmaa2]

@@Mabswer Yes the same 1815 Tambora that caused an even larger famine than the 1800s famine in 1601 when up to 25% of people in Finland perished, smaller famines were experienced most of the 1600s, 1696 was a noted larger one. In short, the 1850s-60s had nothing to do with any volcanic activity. It was the Little Ice age (LIA)

[@deathofsteel7081]

@@Itapirkanmaa2 I think you're actually meant to write Pohjanmaa and not Etelä-Pohjanmaa, as most Swedish speaking Finns live in Pohjanmaa. When you go to Etelä-Pohjanmaa, almost all Finns there are speaking Finnish and not Swedish.

[@maestrobash7822]

17:45 "Ei kurjuutta kummempaa", its kind of a cheeky answer which means "Same old, same old". I would describe Finnish people more as content than happy. Its not all rainbows and sunshine, but Finns are content with their lives, both the good and the bad. In general. This ofcourse doesnt apply to every individual.

[@petergriffin6126]

And maybe more proper translation would be nothing more interesting that just misery..

[@jundemaan]

@@maestrobash7822 or, i dont have anything fancier going on than misery.

[@pamelakilponen3682]

The outdoir ladders are acess to the roof to remove snow. On the roof there are poles you can attatch a safety belt to.

[@timoterava7108]

They are also fire escapes.

[@MikkoRantalainen]

You should have gotten black liquorice from Panda or Halva because those have the best quality. The stuff Panda makes has more coarse structure and the stuff Halva makes has more dense structure. I personally prefer the black liquorice by Panda but both are pretty good.

[@jattikuukunen]

They somehow managed to find Spanish licorice I haven't even seen before (fini). Don't worry, at least Panda makes filled licorice as well. Panda and Halva aren't the only licorice factories in Finland either.

[@MikkoRantalainen]

@@jattikuukunen Yes, I mentioned Panda and Halva because I think those are the two best black liquorice manufacturers. And the best one for you depends on which kind of structure you prefer. Fazer, of course, makes black liquorice, too, but I don't find that equally high quality.

[@dr.catherineelizabethhalse1820]

If possible then Kouvolan lakritsi which me who doesnt usually like black liquorice still finds pretty delicious.

[@enotubettaa]

Funny reading all this and sitting here next to my bide shower (third time today and it is not even midday) since I ate a full bag of Kouvolan Laku yesterday. KZbin algorithm working overtime.

[@vattulaitti]

the hard candy and "mints" are originally thought for after smoke or substitute for smoking so the "bored while driving" is not far off :DD

[@skywraith6454]

Bit sad that you didnt go for the best licorice brand being "Kouvolan lakritsi" its my home towns and its dubbed as worlds best licorice 3 years in row by brittish magazine

[@mwtrolle]

9:50 #22 I absolutely hate places where they cut your pizza unless you ask them to. If at home or home at someone else I always eat the pizza with a knife and fork, then it sucks that its already cut. Also, it makes the pizza look less classy. If eating on the beach or in a park I'll ask them to cut it for me. I'm from Denmark BTW.

[@Narangarath]

The tar flavor is definitely an acquired taste and many find it to be at it's best when combined with other flavors, like the dreaded black licorice. If you don't like them as candy, that kind of hard candies make great flavored alcohol you might like if you enjoy sipping herbal liquors. Just throw them into some (economical is fine) vodka and wait for them to melt away, then shake well before serving.

[@TheMrGazoline]

Nice video. It was fun, nicely edited and had a nice structure. Some of these are things I've never heard of or were unique exceptions that you just happened to come across.

[@chrisplusmelissa]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Zarniwooper]

Fun fact, the type of plastic sled is called "pulkka", and the english translation is "pulk"! This is purely nordic word that english speakers picked up!

[@timoterava7108]

It's a Sami word.

[@Zarniwooper]

@@timoterava7108 No. Pulkka is proto-finnic word and Sami word pulkkē is borrowing from Finnish.

[@timoterava7108]

@@Zarniwooper Ok, so it was first a Finnic word and then also a Sami one. "Nordic" however is not a language.

[@Zarniwooper]

@@timoterava7108 never said nordic is a language. Jesus, what's your problem dude?

[@timoterava7108]

@@Zarniwooper I don't have a problem - do you? You literally wrote: "This (pulkka) is purely (a) Nordic word..."

[@kallek771]

#29 There's Exit showing from where to open the door. "Oven aukaisu" in finnish means "opening the door". I think it's for clearing because there's two knobs. Translated only with exit sign

[@johncrwarner]

I went to the theater in Jyväskylä and the clapping was very quiet and had to modify my clapping as I was the loudest in the auditorium.

[@johncrwarner]

Panda licorice was made in a factory near Jyväskylä in central Finland and it had a factory outlet where you could buy misshaped licorice sticks filled with a whole variety of flavours I used to bring it back for colleagues.

[@fmalovegirl98]

The heated bathroom floors are fantastic, especially during winter! One year my mom and I went to Helsinki bc I went to a concert there and the Christmas before wasn't that cold and there weren't much snow, but after the New year, suddenly all of the snow and super cold weather came. So the concert was like in the second week of January and we were waiting in the line for me to get it (mom wanted to make sure that I get in safely) and it was so freaking cold + cold wind bc Helsinki is near of the ocean too. Finally after waiting a long time, I got in to the venue and my mom went back to our hotel room (we were staying in a small hotel near of the venue) and after she picked me up and we were both back at the hotel room, I asked, how she spent her time alone. She seriously told me :" I went to lay down at the bathroom floor bc it was the only warm thing in the room and I was so cold that I was just laying there at least for 45min just to warm up" :"DD

[@chrisplusmelissa]

Your mom rocks.

[@fmalovegirl98]

@@chrisplusmelissa she can handle the cold well, but even she appreciates warm floors haha.🤭

[@foobar1500]

Calling Gulf of Finland an "ocean" doesn't sound quite right to me as a Finn, but yeah, it can make winters in the capital area quite annoying.

[@duckmcduck007]

The happiness report isn't a questionnaire where people say they're happy. The happiness report looks at statistics on corruption, safety, access to healthcare, average economic stability, trust in others, trust in the government, etc.

[@Cocoonen]

Do they ask amount of eaten depression medicines, because I think maybe they should...

[@duckmcduck007]

@@Cocoonen They don't ask about anything. It's not a questionnaire. They do however look at usage of anti-depressants

[@Deltroyer1963]

They cut pizza's to slides when you ask for it. Some cafe's and restaurants cut their pizza's automaticly. Most Finns use forks and knives to eat pizza... Ladder in bathroom? Nope, it's a towel drying thing. To save energy & water & earth, people could use their towels more than once (if they like to..). All finnish hotels has that option!

[@Ezz0Clan]

The ladder you spoke of is for your towels. Looking back at the footage, I think it wasn't just placed properly by the maintenance guy as a rack for clothset, however there are some towel ladder racks on the bathrooms because more people just dry themselves, place the towel on the rack and go dress up. I think most people re-use the same one like... 1 or 2 times cos I mean... You've just cleaned yourself up, you just dry your clean body on the clean towel and then let it dry.

[@cherryc177]

Which month did you visit Finland it seems sunny and beautiful weather 🌞 beautiful vlog Thank you

[@chrisplusmelissa]

Thank you for the compliment. :) We were there in June. It was very very nice weather.

[@cherryc177]

We plan to visit in March hope the weather would be nice 🙏 thank you for the vlog

[@DavidP793]

I had an 80 yr old Finnish patient....he looked 58. He was the definition of stoic. Great man, I learned so much about Finland. Btw, the man was as strong as a bull....at 80 yrs old.

[@KalleKilponen]

@14:00 Fresh cheese sounds like a translation error (or more specifically a direct translation). What we call "tuorejuusto" or "fresh cheese" is typically called "cream cheese" in English.

[@chrisplusmelissa]

Yeah, it very much tasted like the cream cheese I know.

[@erik....]

They have those "portable bidets" in Thailand too, where they were called "bum guns" (in english). I'm thinking of buying one, it's really handy sometimes. I think the "ladder" might be a drying rack, maybe?

[@ilarikinnunen8266]

The "recruitment" people could also be people selling things to you. It is very common in Finland that electricity companies and telephone companies have marketers in public places, and they try to get you to switch to their company by giving you a better deal. There are also people selling major newspaper subscriptions etc.

[@most_random_hero]

@@ilarikinnunen8266 or they are trying to get you donate money to charity

[@martip2736]

the amazing thing is that you notice all those tiny little details. 😃

[@martip2736]

and i've never ever seen anyone cut your pizza before serving it. In Italy that would probably qualify as deadly sin 🤣🤣

[@chrisplusmelissa]

It's my curse. :D I'm always pointing things out to Melissa and wondering out loud about them and she's always going, "you know, maybe there's a way you can look that up to find out the answer." 😂 Of course, I seldom do because I'm an annoying husband.

[@avatara82]

Ladder in bathroom is to put towels and other cloth to dry... those are often also warmed

[@bertillassenius8604]

The DaCapo candy bar is 100+ years old - and made of their not perfect liquor filled chocolate pralins😀

[@deathofsteel7081]

That's an old candy bar. I'm surprised it's not moldy by now... 😉🤣

[@Jantzku]

A Finn would probably choose exact opposite as you did with the candies 😅

[@tuomaspietinen1485]

Kudos for the observations! Da Capo is my favorite! Suffeli is btw. a slang word in the army for something being really easy and relaxing.

[@kohinarec6580]

You need to apply for the baby box, there are no automatic social benefits. But you will get one no matter your economic status, and you'll get one for each baby. You get twins, two boxes and so on. And you get a box for each baby born to the family. Doesn't matter you got one three years ago.

[@finlanderxx]

Instead of the baby box you can choose equivalent as cash payment

[@kohinarec6580]

That's true! Although not as popular. A good option if you already have kids and surplus baby supplies, IMO.

[@LeaMReardon]

The "ladders" in the bathrooms are for hanging your towels to dry. And they are sometimes heated as well for faster drying

[@janosriippa]

This was so much fun listening to you guys. It's interesting to see what foreigners think of Finland. Nice to hear your views of our way of culture, living, food, candies and habits. I think there's few other things I'd introduce you in summer time. Winter time is another thing. There's so much different things to see and experience during winter.

[@suzyq8328]

This was fun to see.its fun to see how foreigner sees our country.thank you

[@chrisplusmelissa]

It was fun to visit Finland. :)

[@thesilentshopper]

Thanks for the interesting observations. You seem like a lovely couple.

[@chrisplusmelissa]

Thank you!

[@karilang9377]

Maybe we have a grocery shop in one airport, Helsinki- Vantaa.

[@merjas68]

It was nice to watch your video and the observations you made. I was suprised you didn´t mention Finnish invention: dish dryer cupboard. That is usually something that foreign people are amazed of. The paper bag in the trash can is an attempt to be enviroment friendly and avoid using plastic.

[@deathofsteel7081]

Wait? What?! Dish dryer cupboard is a Finnish invention?! I'm a Finn and I didn't even know that. 😂

[@serdip]

Great video! Thanks for posting. I think another item would be that Finland has the highest per capita coffee consumption in the world: 12 kilograms per person. Kiitos tosi paljon! Hyvää Joulua!

[@woodenclogs5830]

Good common sense ideas very evident in Finland.

[@chrisplusmelissa]

We agree!

[@timokiander7961]

I see that you visited my home town :) Yes, the sauna boat is awesome - been there almost yearly.

[@GnosticAtheist]

On your first point about card payment I think that applies to a lot of countries, and it can be linked to lower population, not better tech. Here in Norway we do the same thing and it is usually close to instant. But since my country is a few million, the strain on the system is low.

[@chrisplusmelissa]

That just might be.

[@klapiroska4714]

I don't know, but it could have something to do with the fact that most places have good quality internet connections. You'll find some slower card readers, but those have often worse connections (used in extremely rural area and/or routed wirelessly through slower networks). Everyday payments are even faster when you use contactless payment (payments up to 50€, no pin code required, included by default on most cards)

[@nualapower9323]

Canada has instant credit card approval with a tap. At least here in Victoria British Columbia.

[@Mikey84]

About the outside ladders - the ones leading to the roof of a building are... well, for that exact purpose: to have access to the roof in case you need to do something there, like clearing snow :D And the ones directly beneath a window work as a fire escape.

[@274727]

I remember the juice dispensers having a touchscreen at least 10 years or more. Nothing new for me. 🧐

[@samivalovirta6062]

You could try liquarice with beer. Thanks for your input❣️

[@thomasjonsson2766]

Most of what is shown applies to Sweden as well. Nothing strange or weird at all.

[@Tingletonttu]

Well what did you expect min bro från västkust?

[@jothain]

@@Tingletonttu I believe he meant that as it was mentioned in video that they've been at Sweden before, things are about the same between us?

[@jounisaari9471]

The locks are not Abloy in Sweden. Some light switches work to different direction or different logic. Road driving culture is more polite in Sweden. Sauna is called bastu, and it's usually not as hot as in Finland.

[@tuomasroysko]

Happy to see these differences, that are everyday normal things at Finland. Welcome back :)

[@karisalonen12]

Ahh, Jim candybar, my childhood favorite. It is supposed to be strawberry flavored. Da Capo has its name because its done from chocolate that was meant for other candybar but was rejected in the production process so its melted and done into Da Capo (= from the beginning) 😊

[@TheKentaurion]

The ladder in the hotel room was for hanging damp towels to dry. They are also usually heated, so the towel will dry fast.

[@kievitz]

Finnish people in general like peace and quiet, we do not want to disturb anyone or get disturbed, we abhore non-sensical conflict and avoid confrontations to the limit. Never piss off a Finnish person, we get extremely angry, especially if its done for a trivial reason.

[@EattinThurs61]

That is why you don't bother others, they WILL get mad at you.

[@JimmyRingz]

"we get extremely angry" sounds a bit too much but yeah...😂

[@EattinThurs61]

@@JimmyRingz loosing ones temper at people that starts conflicts just because seem a natural thing.

[@kievitz]

@@JimmyRingz Did you read the "never PISS OFF part :), yeah, i understand where youre coming from :)

[@JimmyRingz]

@@kievitz Please do tell fo you believe you know? I promise 100% I'll tell if you're right.🙂

[@k.l.7788]

Those ladders are for your daily clothes. Pretty common in finnish houses mainly in the bedroom.

[@thefakesplendorpodcast]

Such a cool video folks! Great stuff! What comes to Finnish candies, it's a bit same like benji jumping, you either love it or hate it :-) Many of my American friends absolutely love Fazer chocolate. My favourite is that Da-Capo but I absolutely love American one called Whatchamacallit. So tasty!

[@chrisplusmelissa]

Thank you! I miss the Watchamacallit!!! It's one of my favorites. :)

[@mwtrolle]

12:19 #28 I think they might be from Buthan

[@MikkoRantalainen]

17:00 The specialty of Finland is functional design - how to make things as simple as possible but not simpler. And still try for optimal looks without destroying the functionality.

[@TuntematonX]

I'd say that Norway still outclasses Finnish design on aesthetic simplicity. Finnish design prioritises practicality over anything else. Case and point: The new cultural downtown of Oslo compared to the National Plaza in Helsinki.

[@MikkoRantalainen]

@@TuntematonX I agree, Finns are strictly about optimal design without sacrificing the functionality even a bit. Aesthetics are considered only for non-functional parts of the design.