When I moved to Finland, I was aware that I would have to get used to a lot of new things—cold winters, new people, and lots of coffee. But what I wasn’t expecting was how the Finns observe Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day at home meant couples—chocolates, flowers, and candlelight dinner. Not so in Finland. It’s not just about couple love. It is also “Friend’s Day” known there as Ystävänpäivä.
I remember my first Ystävänpäivä clearly. That morning at the workplace, I found a small card on my desk. It was from one of my colleagues. The card said, “Hyvää ystävänpäivää! Kiitos, että olet hyvä työkaveri.” (Happy Friend’s Day! Thank you for being a good colleague.) I was surprised. Where I come from, you do not normally celebrate Valentine’s Day with your colleagues. But this made me smile.
Later in the day, I was invited to a friend from my Finnish class for coffee and korvapuusti (Finnish cinnamon rolls). We sat in a university cafe talking about how we were coping with the dark winter. When I was getting ready to leave, he handed me another card. The card said, “Kiitos, että olet ystäväni.” (Thank you for being my friend.) That act warmed my heart.
This Finnish tradition taught me a lesson about the universality of love. It isn’t confined to the grand gestures of romantic relationships but thrives in the little acts of kindness and connection that bind us to our communities. Whether it’s a simple card, a shared coffee, or a few kind words, these small moments remind us that relationships—of all kinds—are worth celebrating.
It made me understand that Ystävänpäivä is not about giving extravagant presents or making romantic getaways. It’s about valuing the people that add meaning to your life—your friends, your neighbors, even your office mates. I’ve been celebrating a Ystävänpäivä ever since. I text my friends, give them something sweet, and remind the people around me how much they mean to me. In Finland, Ystävänpäivä showed me this: love isn’t limited to couples. It’s everywhere, in every friend, big or small. And that makes February 14th all the more special.
