DON'T DO These 13 Things in Finland

The 13 Things Not to Do in Finland should be considered when coming to Finland. Once you have watched this video, you will be fine with Finnish people and Finnish culture. However, at the same time, I want to remind you not to overthink these. Finns are quite tolerable people and understand if you make a mistake as a foreigner. :)

The editing style of this video is inspired by Abroad in Japan.

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[atsuko]

Wow, there are so many same things that share with Japanese society, such as don’t speak roundly in public, don’t get too close to the others, and be on time! Which is very interesting 🤨

[SoloTravelStory]

Everything you've mentioned sounded normal to me. I'm German, we also don't tip (it's included in the costs), we take off shoes, are respectful when someone talks and prefer quietness in public spaces. Littering is frowned upon, too. The more I watch your videos the more I feel at ease tbh. I lived for many years in the UK and was often labelled as "weird" and ostracised because I was reserved and respectful instead of loud and extroverted. It made me question if something was wrong with me but ever since I spend some time in Finland and also back in Germany again, I noticed it wasn't me I was just not compatible with anglophone nations.

[RoadtoFinnish]

Falling cows are a pain! They make me late all the time so its totally something that you should watch out for 😅

[noemibaki]

I'm form Hungary and here wearing shoes at home or wearing a hat inside is considered rude too 😁 It's so weird that it's considered normal at some places

[neljakielta]

Having moved to Finland from Japan, I never needed to worry about any of the points you made :D
But many of the Finns that I personally know are often late when I meet up with them, and they also interrupt me a lot and talk over.

[vivianblack]

About punctuality: I left 15 minutes early for a Finnish concert here in Canada. I ran into a large bit of road construction but could still make it by 7:30. I got to the door of the hall at 7:30:31. I was 31 seconds late.

[hyacinth]

I was in Helsinki 3 years ago for the 100 year independance celebration. We went to the president's place to hear his speech and see the firework. There were sooo many people, but it was so quiet! It was crazy! Lol!

[Борис-еч]

And NEVER sit in the sauna with a swimsuit on.

[aquamarine]

”Finnish streets are so clean”
Kouvola:

[MarlomRV]

I live in São Paulo, Brazil, and I hate when I see people in buses talking loud and listening to music loud as well. This is so annoying and disrespecful.

[mariaschoenfeld]

Love your sense of humour! We are moving from UK to Finland in 2025 and your video is awesome to get a little bit familiar with the culture. As someone being born in Russia and grown up in Germany most of my adult life, a lot of what you say overlaps with Russian social rules and habits that I grew up with: Russians are always being called grumpy and unfriendly at first, they take off shoes in the houses, take off hats when coming in or sitting at a table (although I don?t know about the army haha), never talk about money, and bein loud in public is also considered rude etc....

[akumayoxiruma]

All of these rules are true for me except the hat wearing rule: While I wouldn't wear a hat when eating myself, I personally don't mind when others do. Regarding table manners, I find it important to wait until everybody has their meal on the plate, wait until everybody is finished (except if there is a really good reason to leave earlier) and to close the mouth while eating so that others don't have to see and hear you chewing.

[ForYourConsideration]

I'll be visiting Finland and distant family soon for the first time, so I started watching your excellent videos. As you explained the customs and norms, I suddenly recognized how closely my behavior and traits match Finnish culture. Two of my grandparents were Finnish and one was Swedish, but I don't recall picking up any behaviors other than enjoying pickled herring. At work and at home I am considered a slow talker (think Seinfeld) and one of my coworkers would tell others "Quit interrupting! The man hasn't finished a sentence in forty years!" Your videos have tweaked my perspective on nature vs nurture. I'm looking forward to seeing Finland and my people. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and advice.

[SK-nwig]

Also, I would say one should visit Finland outside the cities too, if possible.

[finnicvoice]

The thing about being late usually applies more on the countryside. In bigger cities (Helsinki, Turku, Tampere) I have found that being a little late is usually okay, because of the distances and the buses time schedules

[julesjma]

Tipping in the USA is ridiculous. Employers are permitted to pay low wages and we are expected to compensate.

[happysolitudetv]

I don't need Finnish DNA to be Finnish, these are all relatable and I felt bad I wasn't born in a place where my personality fits. Same thing about Norwegians. I think these two are like twins when it comes to habits.

[meganw]

Could you elaborate a bit on the 7:15 segment where having a hat on while eating is not just "disrespectful" towards people, but towards the FOOD??
Is there a cultural layer where you treat the food itself as an entity needing its own respect, devoid and separate of those who made it or served it?
Wearing a hat being disrespectful towards the *food* has me very intrigued and curious

[vivianblack]

The other thing about manners at that concert was when some people started talking during the music they were told in no uncertain terms by several people that they needed to be quiet and listen. I have had concerts ruined before by people talking so this was refreshing to me as I didn't have to shush them myself.

[ThethFleet]

9:35 I disagree. As a Finn myself, I’d say its polite to leave tips if for example the service in a restaurant was 5/5. My dad’s working in a bar on a cruiser, and he gets tips actually quite a lot. Altought they may be turists but most of them are finns. He also himself gives tips if we are in a restaurant. But yes this kinda correct what he said. Mostly its because people just dont use cash that much anymore, and credit cards instead, so it has became more common not to give tips.