-Teens rank highest on math performance in the world.
-Ranked 2nd most stable country in the world, based on social, economic, political, and military indicators.
-Ranked 1st out of 104 countries in the 2009 Legatum Prosperity Index, which attempts to assess quality of life.
-35 national parks; 187,888 lakes; 179,584 islands.
- Santa Claus lives here, in Lappland.
Finland's Parliament:
1906 - Finland becomes first country in the world to give full suffrage to all citizens, including women.
1907 - 19 women were elected to Parliament, the world's first female members.
Lutheran Cathedral:
This towering white church dominates Helsinki's cityscape. The person responsible for bringing Lutheranism to Finland was Mikael Agricola, a bright scholar/bishop who actually came to Wittenberg, Germany, to study under Melanchthon (an expert in Greek who gave eye-opening lectures on the original meaning of the New Testament) and Luther. In 1537, Agricola began working on the first translation of the New Testament into Finnish (completed in 1548). Because the language did not have a written standard at the time, he is also known as the Father of the Finnish language because of his formulation of rules for spelling and publications of ABC books.
Today, 80% of Finns are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.
Seurasaari:
We enjoyed an afternoon at this overwhelmingly peaceful and beautiful open-air Finnish folk museum. Costumed women knit away at little socks and discussed life on whatever manor or farm we were standing in.
The 19th century educational system made an impression on me. In a given village in the middle of the country, there might have been 10 families. A rotating teacher would come to visit the village, and it would fall upon a family give the teacher a bedroom and provide a teaching space.
The teacher was most often male, educated at the university, and likely clerical. Not just children would come to lessons, but the entire family. Literacy was highly valued - people could not get married unless they could read and write, or at least write their own name. This emphasis on literacy sprung from the religious conviction that it was important to read the Bible.
Just look at the red-painted wood. I love it in this setting.
Pulla:
My bun was almost finished by the time Chris turned the camera on. I was so happy to find so many variations! This one was sugar-coated. Daisy loved it, and I wanted to squeeze her every time she chirped, "Would you like some more pulla?" (--her way of asking us to ask her...) I know that my family did not originate in Helsinki, but the feeling of being in the same part of the world as my ancestors was a special feeling. The string of decisions that led from Finland's forests to me being born in California is mind-boggling.
Family was on my mind! We saw resemblances to everyone in my family: "Behind you...it's Aunt Betsy!" and "Is it just me, or does that voice sound exactly like Uncle Chuck's?" or "I think that she could be Grandmother's sister...."
From 1837-2002, Katajanokka County Prison served as a pre-trial detention facility for all of Finland. Many high-profile intellectuals and politicians have passed through these cells, in addition to the riff-raff. In 2007, this historic building was made into...a Best Western hotel. We spent two very comfortable nights here. Once we got inside the door.
We came away surprised by our introduction to Finland: on one hand, a woodsy northern outpost with fur-traders in the market and reindeer and elk on the menus; on the other hand, an educated, socially progressive and artistically vibrant community. I honestly hope I can return again to paddle out into one of the thousands of lakes, or maybe strap on skis up in snowy Lappland, or just have Daisy educated at one of their fantastic schools...
Nice T Shirts!
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