Culture

Mökki: the Most Finnish Phenomenon Ever?

When one thinks of a nice holiday in the North, most people would imagine sweating in a sauna, riding in a husky-pulled sledge, drinking ice-cold vodka and fighting against the summer invasion of mosquitoes. However, Suomi has more to offer than just a tour through all its clichés and stereotypes. The key and magical word to the real Nordic experience is the only Finnish word you ever have to learn: mökki.

What is a mökki and what is its purpose? 

mökki is a cottage, usually found in the woods or next to a lake. In Finland, there are approximately 1.8 million mökkis – quite a few if you think there are only 5.5 million inhabitants. It is said that the mökki tradition is merely a continuum of the yearning of the post-war generation who moved from land to city. A stay in a mökki allows one to experience the lifestyle of former generations, at a time when work was done by hand, before smartphones and the internet. In other words: when life was simple. In many mökkis, there is neither electricity nor running water. A trip to the cabin in the woods is a step back in time. Or, as the Finns say: behind God’s back.

Escapism from social structures

Nowadays, a student’s annual mökki-trip is one of the highlights of the year. Traditionally, in pure Finnish fashion, the mökki-stay during the summer goes hand in hand with heavy alcohol consumption. The purpose of escaping into the woods is quite obvious: young people enjoy being free from university. But instead of celebrating on a boat in Ibiza, many Finnish students follow the call of nature.

“Instead of celebrating on a boat in Ibiza, many Finnish students follow the call of nature.”

Aside from a student’s end-of-exams trip, a mökki is the perfect sanctuary for professionals and young families as well. Imagine the feeling of driving through snowy forests in winter, opening the door to the icy, quiet cottage where everything is exactly where you left it. Imagine the peace of just putting on the fireplace and listening to the whispering leaves outside. In the summertime, stars flood the sky and one can watch the sparks in the bonfire in clothes that would never otherwise be worn in public. The mökki is your territory and cannot be invaded – unless by a neighbour to share a cup of coffee.

Finally, hierarchies, stress, and professional behaviour are left in the city. It is not uncommon to see your company managers just as drunk as everyone else, completely naked in the sauna and sharing the feeling of togetherness. For all these reasons, a weekend on the mökki is recommended to all – preferably with its own 24-pack of Finnish beer and a guitar to play Wonderwall.

In a nutshell: it doesn’t matter if you’re a responsible grown-up or a student that likes to live the Finnish student life. You will travel back in time, enter a place to leave your worries behind and enjoy all the facets of the true Finnish wilderness: fresh air, fairytale forests, and a mind-freeing solitude. Hyvää matkaa!

A special thank to my dear friend and colleague Miika for feeding me with information about the mökki and his adventures to the European North.

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Julia Kaiser

Romance studies graduate with an unhealthy passion for wooden cottages and noisy music. Goals in life are being fluent in 11 languages, owning a rowing boat and diving like a mermaid.

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