From income-dependent fines to unusual sports. Facts you didn't know about Finland
Special Project
Finns may be the happiest people in the world, but did you know they have some unusual traditions? Here are five surprising facts from Business Insider about the happiest country in the world.
Finland, recognised as the happiest country in the world, has had a population of just over five million people in the last six years.
Finns are hardy to winter, drink a lot of coffee and are a pessimistic people.
Finland is famous for its saunas and high level of prosperity. But did you know that the country has some unusual traditions and social norms?
Here are five of the most surprising facts about the country.
Speeding fines are set according to people's income
Speeding fines in Finland are set according to how much money a person earns and how fast they were travelling.
The country has a "daily fine" system, which is calculated based on the offender's daily disposable income and how much they exceeded the speed limit.
The system also records very expensive fines. Earlier this year, a Finnish multimillionaire was fined €121,000 for speeding.
There are about half a sauna per person in the country
The tourism website Visit Finland estimates that there are three million saunas in Finland, which is equivalent to just over half a sauna per Finn.
Sauna culture forms an important part of daily life and cultural heritage in Finland. Saunas are available in apartment blocks, courtyards, restaurants and even government buildings.
The Finnish government gives all new families a "newborn box"
A Finnish maternity package, known as äitiyspakkaus or "newborn box", is a set of items that the government sends to parents of newborn babies.
The box includes essentials such as clothes, bibs, nappies, bathing products and more. The box itself is equipped with a small mattress and sheet so that it can serve as a safe place for the newborn to sleep.
There is a sport called "wife-carrying" in the country
Although "wife-carrying" is now an international sport, world championships are still held in Sonkajärvi, Finland.
Traditionally, in this sport, a man carries his wife on his back while they complete an obstacle course. Over the years, the rules have changed a bit, and now participants don't have to carry their actual spouses.
However, the "wife" must be at least 17 years old and weigh at least 49 kilograms.
The Finns have a word that means "to stay at home and drink in your underwear".
Kalsarikännit means to drink at home alone, in your underwear.
Other untranslatable Finnish words include vahingonilo, which means to rejoice in another's misfortune, and sisu, which means stoic determination or purposefulness.
Finns are hardy to winter, drink a lot of coffee and are a pessimistic people.
Finland is famous for its saunas and high level of prosperity. But did you know that the country has some unusual traditions and social norms?
Here are five of the most surprising facts about the country.
Speeding fines are set according to people's income
Speeding fines in Finland are set according to how much money a person earns and how fast they were travelling.
The country has a "daily fine" system, which is calculated based on the offender's daily disposable income and how much they exceeded the speed limit.
The system also records very expensive fines. Earlier this year, a Finnish multimillionaire was fined €121,000 for speeding.
There are about half a sauna per person in the country
The tourism website Visit Finland estimates that there are three million saunas in Finland, which is equivalent to just over half a sauna per Finn.
Sauna culture forms an important part of daily life and cultural heritage in Finland. Saunas are available in apartment blocks, courtyards, restaurants and even government buildings.
The Finnish government gives all new families a "newborn box"
A Finnish maternity package, known as äitiyspakkaus or "newborn box", is a set of items that the government sends to parents of newborn babies.
The box includes essentials such as clothes, bibs, nappies, bathing products and more. The box itself is equipped with a small mattress and sheet so that it can serve as a safe place for the newborn to sleep.
There is a sport called "wife-carrying" in the country
Although "wife-carrying" is now an international sport, world championships are still held in Sonkajärvi, Finland.
Traditionally, in this sport, a man carries his wife on his back while they complete an obstacle course. Over the years, the rules have changed a bit, and now participants don't have to carry their actual spouses.
However, the "wife" must be at least 17 years old and weigh at least 49 kilograms.
The Finns have a word that means "to stay at home and drink in your underwear".
Kalsarikännit means to drink at home alone, in your underwear.
Other untranslatable Finnish words include vahingonilo, which means to rejoice in another's misfortune, and sisu, which means stoic determination or purposefulness.
Powered by Froala Editor