In order to find out what Finns consider the most important thing in life; what they are afraid of; what they find unacceptable, and what they are madly in love with, you don’t have to move to Finland. All you have to do is read some Finnish proverbs – believe us, you won’t feel bored!
About laziness
For the Finns, laziness is the worst possible sin. There are dozens of evocative Finnish proverbs about those who do not like to work. Here are just a few examples: «A lazy person and a thief are brothers», «A lazy person is seldom lucky», «A diligent person knows many kinds of happiness, a lazy one knows only misfortune», and even: «The languid stem is the first to wither.» Finns also like to make fun of themselves. If it seems to them that they are not working hard enough, they often declare: «I’m not afraid of work − I’m brave enough to take a nap next to it!»
About poverty and wealth
The Finns believe that everything in life depends on the person’s attitude; that hardworking and diligent people achieve wealth and success, while the poor and the unhappy have themselves to blame for their failures. This is reflected in the Finnish folk wisdom. About the rich, they say with respect: «For a rich person, even a house fire brings money,» «Even the law is enchanted by wealth», «A landowner is entitled to his share even in Hell», «It’s good to be rich, it’s good to live healthy».
At the same time, poor people, and especially those who live in debt, do not garner much respect among the inhabitants of the Land of a Thousand Lakes: «A debtor’s household is like a leaky boat», «If you lend to the poor, don’t expect your money back soon».
However, the Finns are certain that money is not everything; that without peace, love and honor, wealth loses meaning: «It is better to be penniless than helpless», «It is better to be honorable in poverty than disgraceful in wealth,» «An honest sinner is better than a pious deceiver».
About sauna
To the Finns, sauna is not just a place where you can wash, but also a refuge for the soul, a national philosophy and a cure for all diseases. They treat this place almost like a living person, saying: «A house without a hostess is like a sauna without heat.» In case of a cold or other slight ailment, the Finns go to the sauna, for: «If wine, tree tar and sauna didn’t help, then the illness is incurable.» The same goes for treating emotional lows: «Anger and sadness burn up in the sauna».
And, of course, the Finns are certain that the right to visit a sauna is as sacred and universal as the right to live and breathe. No wonder they say: «A sauna is good for anyone who is mobile enough to reach it» and «Sauna is the poor man’s drugstore».
About how one should behave
Residents of Finland believe that a good citizen shouldn’t waste words («Listen more, talk less»); be persistent («To be able to make bread out of stone»), calm («A raised voice is the mark of an empty person»); must always fulfill promises («Taking an oath to do something is the same as doing it») and shouldn’t enter into conflicts («He who wears his scabbard in plain sight has the bloody knife»). Also, according to the Finns, standing out from the crowd too much is a disadvantage: «The white hen becomes the first prey of the hawk».
About pity
Pity is not in high esteem among these harsh northern people. «Keep on suffering − you will get a shinier crown,» the Finns usually say to those who like to talk about their problems for hours. «Pity is destructive and contagious»; «We get pity for free, but envy needs to be earned» − the old Finnish sayings categorically assert.
About nature
The Finns traditionally treat nature with utmost care. No wonder nature is the subject of one of their most touching sayings: «The sea sees, the forest hears».
About life
The Finns have a philosophical attitude towards life. They feel thankful for every hour they have lived, ironically saying: «It’s better to spend one day alive than two days dead.» At the same time, the residents of Suomi calmly perceive the finality of our existence, noting: «You cannot get out of life alive».
About hastiness
The Finns don’t like to rush, believing that hurrying will get you nowhere. Dozens of Finnish proverbs speak about this: «Good things come slowly», «Whichever rooster sings first, gets snatched by the hawk», «The puppies are born blind because they are born quickly», «We rarely hurry, and never at all when it comes to business», «Let’s sit and wait until the hastiness passes», «Walking calmly, you’ll get far; walking with song and dance, you’ll soon get tired».
About fishing
Fishing is an important part of every Finn’s life, and therefore it’s not surprising that it is mentioned in countless proverbs and sayings. «It’s the same with guests and freshly-caught fish: after three days’ stay in the house, both get unwelcome,» the Finns say, hinting that hospitality should not be abused. «A ruff is cursed when caught and blessed when eaten,» says another proverb, implying that the result is what matters in any business. «The ruff and the whale-fish have equal amount of wits,» the Finns note, i.e. — intelligence does not depend on appearance and size.
Original proverbs in Finnish
Finnish proverbs and sayings can be of great help in learning the language of the Country of a Thousand Lakes. They are easy to remember, and sound much more interesting than the dry phrases from the textbooks. For instance:
— Koiralle koiran kuolema («A dog will die like a dog») − it means that everyone gets what he or she deserves. There are similar proverbs in Russian and English: «The dog shall die a dog’s death»
— Ei kala miestä hae, jollei mies kalaa («The fish will not find the man if he does not go fishing») – the residents of Suomi are certain that doing nothing will get you nothing.
— Ei oo lasta itkemätöntä, eikä kangasta katkeematonta («There are no fabrics that don’t tear, there are no children that don’t cry») − utter the Finns when they want to say that everything in this world is subject to decay.
— Kuolema kuittaa univelat («We’ll have a good sleep in the afterlife») and Kyllä haudassa aikaa maata on («There’ll be time to lie idle in the grave») − the Finns are sure that life shouldn’t be wasted on carefree leisure.
— Ei kukaan synny kirves kädessä («No one is born with an axe in ones hand») − this Finnish proverb implies that everything in life can be learned.