Language of the term
Our language for Term 3 is
FINNISH
Lily and Esme, who have a Finnish Mum and used to live in Finland, gave us a brilliant introduction to the language and the country in our Language of the Term assembly. Kitos!
Did you know that Ms Norman went on a holiday to Finland at Christmas? She stayed in an ice hotel, saw the Northern Lights and met Santa Claus!
Check out Miss Wilson's Language of the Term Challenge!
Finnish 1 to 10.mp4
Finnish Food
The north of Finland is inside the Arctic Circle. The harsh climate and short summers mean that people had to use what they could grow during the short spring and summer and store throughout the year. This is why potato is a main ingredient of many traditional Finnish main dishes.
Local and organic food is a big part of Finnish culture. People pick berries in the forest in summer, collect mushrooms in autumn and fish from rivers and the sea. The natural ingredients are used for simple yet tasty dishes. Meatballs with lingonberry jam and potato (puolukkahillo ja lihapullat) and salmon soup (lohikeitto) are typical examples.
Like us, Finns are very traditional about eating certain dishes at particular times of the year. At Christmas they have Christmas ham (joulukinkku) with carrot casserole, swede casserole and potato casserole, washed down with glogi - hot mulled wine.
This is pulla, a soft, sweet, cardamom-flavoured bread that Finns traditionally eat at Easter. Doesn't it look delicious?
Karjalanpiirakka is a typical Finnish pastry with a rice pudding filling that people enjoy all year round.
If you want to try something unique you should taste leipäjuusto - Finnish squeaky cheese - served with tangy sea-buckthorn jam (tyrnihillo).
Or a very popular Finnish sweet, Salmiakki - salty liquorice. They're good for coughs but people love the taste too. You will either love it or hate it!
What to see in Finland
The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights.
Ms Norman took this photo on her holiday in Finland!
Ms Norman also spent a rather cold night in a hotel built out of ice, filled with amazing ice carvings!
This scary troll was in the restaurant!
She visited Santa Claus in the Santa Village and met some real reindeer!
The capital of Finland is called Helsinki,
where you can find this monument to a famous Finish classical composer, Sibelius,
and some stunning modern architecture. This is the Oodi Library...
This is the Kamppi Chapel of Silence, a unique wooden building where you can enjoy some quiet time away from the bustling city. This chapel has thick, wooden walls to block out any outside noise, making it a popular spot for meditation and prayer meetings.
Mr. Mac has been inside this building and reports that it is indeed quiet and peaceful, cut off from the sounds of the city outside.