Figure 1.--This Finnish father is playing tennis with his son during the 1950s.. |
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We do not yet have much information on youth activies in Finland, primarily because our Finnish archive is fairly limited. he activities seem largely similar to those in the rest of Europe. The most important activity is of course school. We do have some information on Finnish schools. We have found some information on Finnish choirs. As in other countries, Finnish boys enjoy a range of sports. As in other countries, the most ppoular sport is football (soccer). Of course because of the climate, many Finns enjoy cold weather sports like skating and skiing. We do not yet have any information on youth groups. The only group we know of are the Scouts.
We have found some information on Finnish choirs. Many countries of Western and Central Europe have a long tradition of church boys' choirs dating back to the medevil era. I note little about the Finnish tradition. The medeivel church's tradition of choir music appears to have diappeared with the Reformation. Some choirs of recent foundation are attempting to revive the tradition. The existing choirs are of very recent origins.
Boys are involved in all kinds of family outings. People in the city might go on a short trip to a city park. Longer outings might be out into te country to have a picnic or park. There are also resorts in Finland that offer family accomodations. Finlan is best known for spa hotels. They offer guests the ability to seek rejuvenation and relaxation in locations that ovffer sightseeing opportiunities. Spa resorts vary in price levels. Facilities include rooms, restaurants, spas, swimming pools, and of course the famous Finnish saunas. There are beach resorts in the southern and western regions of the country. During the summer, families might enjoy a beach outing. Finland of course is not known for its beaches. But there are several popular beach resorts. Until after World War II and the advent of inexpensive air travel, few Finns could enjoy Mediterranean or other beach vacations. Thus the Finnish Baltic Sea beaches had to do.
We do not know much about the games Finnish children play. We suspect that they are similar to those played by children in Scandinavia, but we have no information at this time. In their cold climate, Finnish children like adults like to take advantage of sunshine during the summer. And in the winter there are a lot of fun things to do in the snow. Hopefully Finnish readers will provide some information on the games that they played as children.
We are not sure just where to archive saunas, an important Finnish tradituon. The activities section seems the most reasonable. The sauna in has an important status in Finish culture. It is not unique to Finland, but is probably more important in Finlsnd than any other countru. The sauna itself is a small room or hut that can be heated to around 80° Celsius. The sauna has both practical and cultural purposes. It is a part of bathing, but also is valuable for mental and physical relaxation. A hot sauna can seem a real challenge to the uninitiated fireigner, Finns see it as a pleasant experience. The requirements are simple, a towel and about a half hour of time. A sauna is preceeeded with a shower. Then one entera the sauna for a short period, depending on one's tolerance to the heat. This is repeated as offten as the individual desires. The sauna is practiced in other socities under different namees: banya (Russian), hamam (Turkey), inipi / sweat lodge (Native American), onsen (Japan), and others. The origins of the sauna in Finland are not entirely known. We do know that the history dates back over a thousand years. And the sauna has only gotten more popular in modern Finland. One estimate suggests that there are over 1.2 million saunas in Finnish homes, including apartments (2002). And there are an additional 0.8 million sauna in summer cottages and public swimming pools (mostly indoor pools). This means that there are 2 million saunas for Filands 5.2 million population. An especially important Finnish tradition is a Christmas sauna.
The most important activity is of course school. We do have some information on Finnish schools. We are unsure about Finnish school uniforms at this time. We have virtually no information except for a few imasges. There may have been significant differences before and after independence. Finland until 1918 was a part of Tsarist Russia. We have noted Russian students, at least at the secondary level, wearing uniforms. This may have also been the case in Finland, but Finland had the status of a grand duchy and was somewhat autonomous in Tsarist Russia. The Tsarist regime under Alexander II began a process of Russiufication. We are unsure to what extent Finland was affected. We note primary children who are not wearing uniforms. After independence we are not sure what steps were taken, if any, concerning school uniform. Modern Finnish students do not wrear uniforms.
As in other countries, Finnish boys enjoy a range of sports. As in other countries, the most ppoular sport is football (soccer). Of course because of the climate, many Finns enjoy cold weather sports like skating and skiing.
We do not yet have any information on youth groups. The only group we know of are the Scouts.
Related Chronolgy Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[The 1880s]
[The 1890s]
[The 1900s]
[The 1910s]
[The 1920s]
[The 1930s]
[The 1940s]
[The 1930s]
[The 1940s]
[The 1950s]
[The 1960s]
[The 1970s]
[The 1980s]
Related Style Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[Long pants suits]
[Knicker suits]
[Short pants suits]
[Socks]
[Eton suits]
[Jacket and trousers]
[Blazer]
[School sandals]
[School smocks]
[Sailor suits]
[Pinafores]
[Long stockings]
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