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Finnish Links

Finnish Books & music at
AlphaCraze.com
AlphaCraze.com

The Flying Finns
Flying Finns
Famous Finnish Rally Drivers

www.SaintUrho.com
Saint Urho
Legendary
Patron Saint
of Finland

Eat More Mojakka!
Mojakka recipes

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Wink Timber
Media Agency

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[ Finlandia ] [ Culture ] [ Festivals ] [ Finnish Products ] [ Motorsports ]

Finlandia

Finnish-American Culture & Heritage

  • Finlandia FoundationFinlandia Foundation - The largest private source of support for Finnish culture in the United States. Founded in 1953, the organization celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

  • Finlandia Weekly is a nationwide bi-lingual Finnish-American newspaper which is published 50 times a year. It carries on a tradition that has existed for more than 125 years. Our tabloid size paper offers news and features about Finland and the Finnish-American community in the United States. It also reports other topics of interest to Finns, including travel, culture, business, profiles, traditions, history, sports, and genealogy. Finlandia Weekly Newspaper is based in Florida.
  • New World Finn is a quarterly, non-academic journal, a cultural link and service to an international community interested in all things Finnish. It is published in the middle of North America by descendants of immigrants from Finland.
  • The Finnish American Reporter is a monthly, English language journal featuring articles and news reports of interest to Finns across North America, in Finland and around the world.
  • Finnish Sauna Society - Dedicated to the traditional Finnish "sweat" bath. More than just a way of cleaning one's body, it is also a cleansing of the spirit.
  • Finland Calling - A weekly program on WLUC-TV6, in Marquette, Michigan, that covers news of interest to Finnish-Americans. Carl Pellonpää is the host. Finland Calling has been on the air for over 40 years!
  • Finn St. - The Best links on the Finnformation SuperHighway!
  • The Kantele Shop - Gerry Luoma Henkel maintains this site for those who enjoy the music of the Kantele (KAHN-ta-la), a traditional Finnish stringed instrument. A kantele is vaguely similar to a zither or dulcimer. Gerry used to be a neighbor of mine in Clover Valley, northeast of Duluth.
    Also at this site is World Wide Kantele, Gerry's newsletter on kantele happenings and musicians around the world.
  • Leningrad Cowboys Leningrad Cowboys - Finnish Rock & Roll band that pokes fun at American rock and the Eastern Blok. The men all sport exagerated Elvis pompadors and dark glasses, the women wear their hair in oniondome beehives. Tractors and vodka are common themes to Leningrad Cowboys albums. They also appear in the 1989 film: Leningrad Cowboys Go America.
  • North House Folk School - Grand Marais, Minnesota. "Dedicated to promoting and preserving the knowledge, skills, crafts and stories of the past and present... enriching lives and building community by teaching traditional northern crafts in a student-centered learning environment that inspires the hands, the heart and the mind."
  • Minnesota Finnish Pages - Information about Finnish organizations and events in MN. Also has information on The Finnish Language School of Minnesota, located at Christ Church Lutheran in Minneapolis MN. Christ Church Lutheran was designed by renowned Finnish architect, Eliel Saarinen. It is also known as "Saarinen Church". The educational building was designed by his son, Eero. Christ Church Lutheran is listed in “The National Register of Historic Places”.
  • Salolampi - Finnish Language Camp, Minnesota
  • Aava Camp Finland - Summer camp in Finland for boys and girls ages 9-14.
  • Finnish-American Heritage Society of Connecticut - A non-profit corporation committed to the preservation of Finnish-American heritage and culture both in New England and across the United States. Membership is open to anyone who shares this interest.
  • Finger Lakes Finns - Western New York state.
  • Finns Northwest - Washington state and Pacific Northwest area.
  • Finnish Urban Network - Finn-o-philes in New York, Los Angeles and other large cities.
  • Little Finland - Hurley, Wisconsin. The National Finnish-American Festival.
  • A Memorial to Finnish Settlers in Carlton County, MN
  • Finnish Heritage Homestead - Embarrass, Minnesota. Bed & Breakfast
  • Lapland Lake Cross Country Ski and Convention Center -
  • Ethnic Symbols: Their Role in Maintaining and Constructing Finnish American Culture - A Brief History of the Finnish Americans in the Upper Midwest
  • Canadian Friends of Finland (Ottawa) - A great many Finns also emigrated to Canada. As its name suggests, the mission of the Canadian Friends of Finland (Ottawa), or CFF, is to help strengthen and enrich the relations between the two nations at the levels of individuals, and of social, cultural and educational groups.
  • Finn Fun School of Vancouver - Finn-Fun School provides a Finnish speaking environment for those interested in learning or maintaining their Finnish language skills. The school also promotes Finnish traditions and culture.

Festivals

  • Mid Jan. - Heikinpäivä. St. Henrik's Day Winter Festival, Hancock, Mich. Photos from: 2006 | 2005.
  • Early Feb. - Laskiainen. Sliding & Pre-Lenten Festival. Palo, Minn.
  • March 16 - St. Urho's Day
  • June. Annual Finnish-American Festival, Embarrass, Minnesota.
  • Dec. 6 - Finnish Independence Day
  • FinnFest 2008. A celebration of Finnish culture held annually at various places around the U.S. This year it will be in Duluth, Minnesota, July 23-27.
  • FinnFunn. Finnish-American weekend festival generally held in Northeastern U.S. in November.

Finnish Gifts & Products

Motorsports

Motorports, particularly rallying, is huge in Finland. Finnish drivers have dominated the sport for decades. It is said that one in ten Finns holds a competition license.

The current (2002) World Rally Champion is Marcus Gronholm from Finland, and before that Tommi Makinen held the title for four straight years! Other top Finnish drivers have been Juha Kankkunen, Markku Alen, Hannu Mikola, Timo Salonen, Ari Vatenen, Henri Toivonen, Simo Lampinen, Rauno Aaltonen, and Timo Makinen (no relation to Tommi).

"The Rally of 1000 Lakes" has been the Finnish contribution to the FIA Rally series. Now called "Rally of Finland", it is still held out of Jyväskylä every year. The 2000 Neste Rally Finland was the 50th Jubilee/Anniversary of the event.

Finnish race car driver Mika Häkkinen was the Formula One Driving Champion in 1998 and 1999, aboard a McLaren-Mercedes. Others include Keke Rosberg (1982 World Champion), J. J. Lehto (Jyrki Järvilehto) [Lehto finished second at the 2003 Sebring 12 hour race in an Audi R8], Mika Salo, and recent F1 phenom Kimi Raikkonen who drives for McLaren. Though Finland does not have a round on the F1 circuit, many planeloads of Finnish F1 fans travel to each event to cheer on their national heroes.

To learn more about some of the best racing and rally drivers in the world, visit the following web site:

  • The Flying Finns


  • Mojakka Recipes | St. Urho | The Flying Finns

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