Another highly regarded virtue in Finland is punctuality. A visitor should apologise even for being a few minutes late. Being late for longer usually requires a short explanation. Ten minutes is usually considered the threshold between being “acceptably” late and very late. Some will leave arranged meeting points after fifteen minutes. With the advent of mobile phones, sending a text message even if you are only a few minutes late is nowadays a norm. Being late for a business meeting, even by one or two minutes, is considered rude.
The standard greeting is a handshake (although avoided since a few years by healthcare personnel, and now by many, to avoid spreading a disease). Hugs are only exchanged between family members and close friends in some situations, kisses, even on the cheek, practically never. Touching is generally restricted to family members. The distance between strangers is ca. 1.2 m and between friends ca. 70 cm.
If you are invited to a Finnish home, the only bad mistake visitors can make is not to remove their shoes. For much of the year, shoes will carry a lot of snow or mud. Therefore, it is customary to remove them, even during the summer. During the wet season you can ask to put your shoes somewhere to dry during your stay. Very formal occasions at private homes, such as baptisms (often conducted at home in Finland) or somebody’s 50th birthday party, are exceptions to these rules. In the wintertime, this sometimes means that the guests bring separate clean shoes and put them on while leaving outdoor shoes in the hall. Bringing gifts such as pastry, wine, or flowers to the host is appreciated, but not required.
In Finland, there is little in the way of a dress code. The general attire is casual and even in business meetings the attire is somewhat more relaxed than in some other countries, although sport clothing in a business meeting would still be bad form. Topless sunbathing is accepted but not very common on beaches in the summer, and thong bikinis have become fashionable in 2018. While going au naturel is common in saunas and even swimming by lake- or seaside cottages, Finns aren’t big on nudism in itself, and there are very few dedicated nudist beaches. At normal public beaches swimwear is expected for anybody over 6 years old.
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Finns are highly egalitarian. Women participate in society, also in leading roles up to the Presidency. Social rank is not usually an important part of social code, thus a Dr. Roger Spencer is usually referred to as simply “Spencer”, or even as “Roger” among co-workers, rather than “tohtori Spencer” or “herra Spencer”, without meaning any disrespect.
When travelling with public transport, it is generally accepted to talk with your friends or ask for help, but only if you keep your voice down. No need to whisper, just don’t shout or laugh too loud. It is of course appreciated if you give your seat to someone in need, but it is in no way a vital part of the culture today, and most Finns won’t do that themselves. Sitting down by a stranger when there are still empty benches is unusual, as is starting a conversation with one; some will enjoy talking to you, but note any hints to the contrary.
By snail mail [ edit ]
Finland’s mail service is run by Posti, nowadays a state owned business concentrating on parcels; the delivery time of normal domestic letters has increased to four days. A stamp for a postcard or 
normal letter (max 50g domestic, max 20g abroad; as of 2020) costs �1.75. Most stamps are “no-value” (ikimerkki, fixvardesmarke), which means they are supposed to be valid indefinitely for a given service. Real post offices are all but extinct, with the services mostly handled by local businesses and automats. Stamps etc. can be got from these businesses or e.g. in book stores. The network of letterboxes is still adequate.
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