What does winter in Finland consist of? Snow. Cold. Dark. But, if you really look, there’s more to Finland’s winter. Snow ... but with the excitement of skiing, sliding, skating, hiking, winter camping and all kinds of winter sports that Finns enj...

Over the last few decades, like many others around the world, I have listened to the “gurus” and have spent the end of every year planning my New Year’s resolutions for the upcoming year. Some years I am able to keep the resolution momentum going...

As I write these words, the year 2019 is almost completed. Another year come and gone, another chapter in history lived, experienced, recorded. Since there is not much happening in January, the coldest month of the year for us in the Northland, I...

Most people want to leave a legacy, to know that their lives mattered, to leave their mark on the world, a contribution of some sort to future generations. But many don’t consciously think about what they want their legacy to be or how to build i... Full story

December. Christmas. And what country is more in tune with Christmas than Finland, the home of Santa Claus. Take some time this month to explore online the Santa Claus Village near Rovaniemi with your children or grandchildren by going to...

Before I get into sharing the Finnish events in the area that will be happening in October, I want to give thanks to the many Finns and friends who attended September events. It’s only through you that these events are able to be organized and p...

Fall is the time to harvest the garden, start getting property ready for winter, send children back to school, and go back to regular meeting schedules. Regular schedules of the local Finnish groups will not be the focus of this article, however, so...

There’s only one month of summer left, and some are probably happy while others are sad to see summer coming to a close. But we have sisu and we do what we must do! For some, it’s working on harvesting the garden and finishing up outdoor projects. Ot...

Are you enjoying your summer so far? If not, you'd better get out and have some fun during the next couple of months! There aren't too many Finnish events happening during July as most Finns, both in Finland and in the U.S., tend to head to the lake...

We were enjoying some beautiful spring days with warmer temps and melting snow, when all of a sudden —BAM! — winter hit us again. Cold, strong winds and wet heavy snow sent us back to winter. Thankfully, we northern Minnesota Finns have lots of SIS...

Winter is finally leaving! Kevät on täällä! Spring is here! And all around there are signs of spring (“kevät” in Finnish), higher temperatures (yay!), snow melting, rain falling, roads and yards flooding, dangerous combinations of precipit...

Well, It's now February, the month of Laskiainen, the Finnish sliding party. And it's almost March, the month of St. Urho, the patron saint of Finland. And it's getting really close to the start of spring .... And, after the winter we've had in the N...