- Finnish people are usually direct, sometimes to the point of being rude.
- During conversations it's best to listen to the speaker intently, wait for them to finish and then reply. Interrupting is considered rude.
- Small talk is rather uncommon. Finns generally skip the preliminaries and have deep discussions about current topics, even if it is just while waiting for the bus.
- When someone asks, “How are you?” they are expecting a thoughtful and sincere response, instead of a flippant, “Fine, and you?”
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One Finnish joke about small talk: Two guys meet for a beer in a bar. One asks the other, “So how’s it going?” The other looks at him and responds, “Oh for goodness sakes, are we here to talk or are we here to drink?!”
- When visiting someone's home it is highly suggested to take off your shoes and leave them in the hall after entering the apartment. If you need to wear your shoes indoors (such as to carry an heavy object) always ask for a permission.
- You should expect to sauna in the nude if asked to go: using a bathing suit in a sauna is unheard of.
- Expect that in the winter, it will be dark almost all day long. The opposite will be true in the summer, when the midnight sun keeps Finns up late, enjoying the outdoors and each other.
- Finns are slow to trust, but once trust is given it will last a lifetime or until broken.
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