FAMILY LIFE - Both parents are working full time and all family members do homework together. Parents spend a lot of time in the evening and on weekends with their children taking them to different hobbies, helping with the school work etc. Since both parents work outside the home children learn to become quite independent and can do most things by themselves at an early stage. Families have on average 2-3 children. Parents are loving and take care of their children very well.

HOLIDAYS AND TRADITION - During school holidays Finnish families travel often abroad to some warm countries or in the winter to alps in Europe or Lapland. Many families have also a second home or cottage in the countryside by the lake where they spend their holidays.

Finns put a big value on traditions. f.ex. spending Christmas and also Easter with the whole family and relatives, Food traditions are important too.

During the dark Autumn and Winter we have a lot of candle light to bring nice atmosphere. Most Finns have also a sauna where they relax.

FOOD - The Finnish kitchen is similar to other Nordic countries with special influences from the cuisines of Russia and Sweden. Fish, game, potatoes, bread, mushrooms and berries are central to many Finnish dishes. Popular dishes are f.ex. mashed potatoes, sausages and meatballs, Karelian stew and sauteed reindeer. Finns do eat also pizza and hamburgers but most families try to make homemade food as much as possible.

CHILDHOOD ACTIVITIES - Since about 90 % of Finnish mothers work full days, children usually start in kindergarten when they are between 2-3 years old. They start pre-school when they are 6 and the normal school at 7 years.

Finnish school system is well known in the world for high academic standards and results. In the evening and on the weekend students join different sports and arts clubs where they can do different hobbies, like skating, skiing, ice hockey, swimming, basketball, music, arts, dancing etc.

SPORTS AND LEISURE - Sport is considered a national pastime in Finland and many Finns visit different sporting events regularly. The most popular forms of sport in terms of television viewers are ice-hockey and Formula One. Finland has numerous world champions in motor sports, and legendary is the gold medal in ice-hockey world championship in 1995. Most Finns do, in the winter, cross country or downhill skiing, popular are also floorball, soccer, track and field, and swimming.

Finns also spend leisure time meeting friends and spending cosy time with the family in their second home at the countryside on the weekends and holidays.