Finland
The Block
Snow, sky and lakes, layered textures and elements in blue and white, inspired Heljä Thomson’s vision for the Finland block. At the centre sits a miniature birch bark basket, a gift from her cousin made during the war, which she brought to Canada in 1952. Adding a touch of colour are embroidered cornflowers, daisies, poppies and wheat on a white linen cloth gently tucked inside the basket. A piece of unbleached linen, woven in a reversible ‘summer-winter’ motif, forms the second layer. This type of delicate pattern and monochromatic design is very popular in Finland. The Sami or Lapp people, the only indigenous people in the European Union, are represented by the dark blue cording with accents of red, yellow and green.
Cultural Profile
Finland is the most northerly country in the world with a diversity of geography that includes forests, swampy peat land, huge lakes, and islands. Finnish, probably the oldest living language in Europe and the language of about 90% of the population, was once described by writer and linguist J.R.R. Tolkien as ‘entering a complete wine-cellar filled with bottles of an amazing wine of a kind and flavour never tasted before’. It stands out among other European languages as it is not related to any other language besides Estonian. Reputed to be particularly hard to learn, the oldest known Finnish writing roughly translates into English as ‘I want to speak Finnish, but I am not able.’ Swedish is also an official language, mostly spoken in the southern and western regions of the country. It is a legacy of the Swedish rule over Finland that lasted from medieval times to the 19th century.
The Sami, Finlands indigenous people, are known for their handcrafts. These include knives with fir handles and engraved bone or reindeer leather sheaths. Kuksas, drinking cups made of birch burl, are known to last a lifetime. The gákti, traditional Sami tunics of reindeer leather or wool, are fastened with woven sashes or leather straps in dark blue, red, yellow and green colours. The designs of the gákti often serve as indicators of the wearer’s place of origin.
Textile traditions in Finland are varied. Embroidery, a popular art form, was taught to girls at an early age. Techniques such as whitework (white embroidery done on a white background), surface embroidery, and cross-stitch were part of a young girl’s training. Linens have always played an important role in Finland. They are a part of life and family pride to the Finns and are passed down from generation to generation.The country is known for its hand woven textiles such as the ryiji rug, and card-woven sashes. Contemporary fabric designs such as those produced by Marimekko are noted worldwide for their colourful cotton prints. Finnish design is renowned for its simple and uncluttered motifs. The modern design style is evidenced in sculpture, furniture, glassware and ceramics, architecture as well as fabrics.
Finns are known for their love of nature. The mökki, the cottage on the lake, is a retreat for peace and tranquility, while the sauna is an integral part of daily life. Indeed, with 5.3 million inhabitants, Finland is home to 3.3 million saunas. It is said that a home without a sauna is not a home. The Finns also take great pride in their egalitarian values and their education system, which has consistently ranked as one of the world’s best.
Finnish immigration to Canada began as early as the mid-1800s with the first settlers coming to British Columbia via Alaska, but it wasn’t until the 20th century, in particular, the 1910s, 1920s and 1950s that larger waves began to arrive. Looking for a better life in Canada, most Finns settled in Ontario while others went to Quebec, the Maritimes, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Finns adapted well to the Canada as the geography and climate are similar to their homeland.
Making up only 1% of the Canadian population, people of Finnish descent are very involved in leisure associations to cultivate music, drama and gymnastics. These allow them the opportunity to socialize with each other and retain their language and ethnic traditions. Thunder Bay, Ontario is home to the largest Finnish community outside of Scandinavia, numbering 20,000. Overall, over 136,000 people of Finnish origin now live in Canada.
Sponsor: Canadian Suomi Foundation and Karen Paavila, in memoriam Kaino Paavila and Mabel Fishlock