A text saying Valentine's day in finland, with a cup in a shape of a heart.

The day of the loving couples is alreadyhere! The day when you give a box of chocolates to your boyfriend/girlfriend or even to your crush. Or is that how it works in Finland?

 

Here in Finland we call Valentine’s day “Ystävänpäivä” [Finnish]/ “Vändagen” [Swedish] which means “the day of friends” if you translate it directly. So for us Finns this day is more about reminding your friends about how you appreciate their friendship. For example we give cards to each other and there might even be a little poem written on them (the day is the second most busiest day after christmas when it comes to cards). We also spend some time together especially if we wouldn’t normally have the time to do that: maybe cook a dinner or just pass quality time together.

 

For example I remember that when I was still in elementary school during Valentine’s day we gave cards to our friends (which mostly meant that I made a card for everyone in the class, so about 20 people). We also got to take some CDs to school and then the teachers played them to the whole school. And the tradition that continued also to secondary school was that we cut a big heart from cardboard and then we wrote our names to each others hearts, teachers and pupils all mixed.

 

But of course because our country isn’t different from all the others we spend time with our sweethearts also and buy some gifts to them and just try to spoil them in one way or another.

How do you celebrate Valentine’s day in your country?

 

ESN Vaasa wishes you a nice Friend’s day with your friends and sweethearts!

 

-Susanna Ailanto

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