complete 3 requirements to earn this patch
1. Finland is located in Northern Europe. It is bordered
by Sweden, Russia, Estonia and Norway. The Finnish name for “Finland”
is Suomi. Locate Finland on a map and its Capital. Identify it’s flag.
The capital city is Helsinki. Finland’s flag is white and blue. The flag
has a white background with a blue cross laying on its side.
2. Finnish and Swedish are the two official languages of
Finland. Finnish is the predominant language while Swedish is spoken largely
in coastal areas and areas that border with Sweden. Finnish is spoken
by about 90% of the population, while Swedish is the native language of
about only 6% of the nation. The rest is made up of foreign languages
such as Russian and German. Learn how to speak and write a few phrases
in Finnish.
3. A traditional dish is Piparkakut, a Finnish gingerbread
recipe. Many dishes in Finland are heavily meat and fish based. Finnish
foods often use wholemeal products (rye, barley, oats) and berries (such
as blueberries, lingonberries, cloudberries, and sea buckthorn). Milk
and its derivatives like buttermilk are commonly used as food, drink or
in various recipes. Various turnips were common in traditional cooking,
but were substituted by the potato after its introduction in the 18th
century. Try some foods from Finland or make a recipe.
4 Finland celebrate international holidays, festivals and
public holidays. the most widely celebrated holiday of the year are Christmas
and St. Stephens Day, a day celebrated to honor the Saint of Horses. Secular
holidays include the Midsummer's Eve Bonfire and Independence Day. Finland's
Independence Day is celebrated on December 6th. Visit a cultural celebration
or re-creation of a holiday event OR learn the background of the celebrated
holiday or festival. You may also create a drawing or art project, or
prepare a food.
5. Finland has a large variety of Folk Music. The oldest
form of Folk Music is called Nordic folk music or pelimanni music. A form
of this type of music is called runonlaulanta ("poem singing" or chanting).
These told stories of heros is is not written down, but memorized and
sung by a solist. Pelimanni music is also played for traditional folk
dances such as the Polska. The Polska is popular in Nordic countries such
as Sweden and Finland and is an upbeat partner dance. Listen to some traditional
Finnish Folk music or Learn some of the dance moves from Nordic Dances
such as the Polska.
6. Legends, stories and myths surrounding the Finnish culture
date back to before Christianity was a major religion. The stories deal
mostly with pagan myths and practices of before Christianity. Finnish
mythology has survived throughout the ages because of oral tradition and
singing. Read a story, legend, OR listen to a legend or play.
7. 40,000 years ago marked the end of the last Ice Age
in Finland. After this, settlers began to colonize. These settlers were
called the Finns, thus giving Finland its name. Viking expeditions began
around A.D. 800, and continued into the 11th centuries. The Vikings were
explorers, merchants, warriors, and pirates who settled in northern Europe.
Learn more about the Vikings and their history.
8. Finland is considered to be one of the northern most
countries. Finland actually consists of 187,888 lakes and 179,584 islands!
Finland is covered mostly by forests and fern-land, called a taiga. Finland
is shared between the Arctic, central European and northern European provinces
of the Circumboreal Region within the Boreal Kingdom. Because of this
heavily temperate region, Finland gets a lot of snow! Complete a craft
or activity relating to chilly weather!
9. One of the most popular handicraft in Finland is textile
art. They create rugs, wreaths, ceramics, jewelry, stained glass ornaments
and wind chimes. Finland's best-known sculptor of the twentieth century
was Wäinö Aaltonen, remembered for his monumental busts and sculptures.
Create a craft or project using a traditional a skill OR jewelry OR observe
someone creating a handicraft OR a traditional craft from Finland.
10. Traditional dress in Finland for ladies is bright stockings,
black shoes, long skirt with a simple design (stripes, dots, plaid, etc),
an apron with the same design but in a lighter color, a belt with an embroidered
pouch, vest with the same design as the skirt, a long sleeved white shirt.
Draw a picture of the clothing, dress up in a Icelandic themed costumes,
create an accessory, complete our paper dolls OR view traditional clothing
through books or the internet or our country manual.
11. There are a variety of games that played in Finland
by children. Learn a traditional game OR play a game that symbolizes Finland
OR play a winter themed game OR play a game in our manual.
12. The Sami people live in the northern Arctic region of
Finland. They wear the traditional clothing called the Gakti and have
reindeer. Find out more about the Sami people such as where they live,
what their clothing looks like, their music or language.
13. About one-third of the land in Finland is located north
of the Arctic Circle. Every year a snow castle is built with light-effects
and ice-sculpting. It also has a restaurant and various other sections
of the castle to review. Pictured on the patch is a snow castle. Learn
more about the snow castles, reindeer or create a craft that is wintery.
14. The reindeer, arctic fox, snowy owl, reindeer, and wolves
are only a few of the animals that are seen in Finland. Did you know that
some animals can camouflage to blend into the whiteness of the arctic?
Research three [3] different animals that reside in Finland such as their
coloring and habitat.
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