Wouldn’t it be nice to celebrate friendship every year with your best friends, mates and buddies, not only your soulmate? On Valentine’s Day, Finland is the place to be for those who appreciate their relationships with friends.
Do you remember that scene from the series Sex and the City, where Carrie and Miranda go for a Valentine’s Day dinner together since they didn’t have dates to go with? The pair is seated among the happy couples in a restaurant filled with red and pink balloons. They are the only friends who are just friendswho have gone out on thisspecial romantic day.
If Carrie and Miranda lived in Finland, no one would think it unusual to see a pair of just-friends dining together on Valentine’s Day. In Finnish, Valentine’s Day is called ystävänpäivä (literally “Friend’s Day”) and, like the name says, the idea is to celebrate friendship. Ystävänpäivä in Finland is a public declaration of friendship.
It was only as late as the 1980s that Finland started celebrating “ystävänpäivä,” and the day has been officially included in Finnish calendars since 1996. Photo: Riitta Supperi
Cards show friendship
It was only as late as the 1980s that Finland started celebrating “Friendship Day.” Ystävänpäivä has been officially included in Finnish calendars since 1996. Even though it’s a relatively young celebration in Finland, it is very popular, a much-awaited annual event, and has established its roots in Finnish culture.
The National Postal Service, Posti, also gets its share of ystävänpäivä: Valentine’s Day is the second-biggest season for cards in Finland. The Finnish Red Cross was among the first to print their own ystävänpäivä cards. In 2015 around three million cards were sent. Posti usually employs around 150 extra workers for the Valentine’s Day season.
Valentine’s Day is the second-biggest season for cards in Finland. Most of the “ystävänpäivä” cards are sent by women to their dearest friends.Photo: Riitta Supperi
Not just chocolate and roses
Ystävänpäivä festivities have steadily increased in terms of commercialisation, and social gatherings are arranged all over the country by people young and old.
Groups of friends celebrate the day over brunches and dinners all over the country. Sports activities like bowling, skating and sledding are also popular.
February 14 is celebrated as Friendship Day. People go out with their best mates or with groups of friends to have fun.Photo: Juho Kuva/Visit Finland
With all sorts of events taking place onystävänpäivä all over Finland, there’s no need to be miserable if you don’t have a “better half” by your side on Valentine’s Day. Friends are forever.
By Carina Chela and Jenita Cresswell, February 2016, updated February 2017
FAQs
The End of the Hunt
Three months later, Forrest Fenn reported that the treasure had been found. He later revealed it was found in Wyoming.
How many people died in the Fenn treasure? ›
Deaths. Five people died while searching for the treasure. This led the chief of the New Mexico State Police, Pete Kassetas, to publicly implore Fenn to end the treasure hunt, stating "He's putting lives at risk." Randy Bilyeu went missing in January 2016 and was found dead in July.
What did Jack Stuef do with the treasure? ›
In September, I sold the Fenn Treasure in a private transaction. I no longer own any part of the treasure and have no financial interest in its future on the collectibles market.
What happened to Forrest Fenn in 1988? ›
In 1988, Fenn was diagnosed with kidney cancer. Faced with his own mortality, he came up with a crazy scheme: He would bury some of his favorite artifacts somewhere in the Rocky Mountains and then die next to them. “My desire was to hide the treasure and let my body stay there and go back to the soil,” he explains.
How did Forrest Fenn make his money? ›
Who was Forrest Fenn? Forrest Fenn was born in 1930 in Texas. He was a pilot in the United States Air Force in the early part of his life and later ran an art gallery with his wife in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This business made him a lot of money.
Where in Wyoming was Fenn's treasure found? ›
The hunt ended approximately 10 years later, on June 5, 2020, when Jack Stuef alerted Forrest of the find. Jack and Forrest did not publicly provide a solution to the hunt, though evidence that the treasure was found at 9 Mile Hole in Yellowstone has come out through court and government document requests.
Is Forrest Finn still alive? ›
How much did Forrest Fenn's treasure sell for? ›
Search Treasure Items by Lot and Name
| Lot Number | Item Name | Final Selling Price |
|---|
| 93007 | Treasure of Forrest Fenn. Gold Nugget 3. 49 grams NGC. Ex: Fenn's Treasure ChestEach of thes... | $1,320.00 |
| 93008 | Treasure of Forrest Fenn. Gold Nugget 3. 28 grams NGC. Ex: Fenn's Treasure Chest. Each of the... | $1,800.00 |
59 more rowsIn 2010, eccentric millionaire Forrest Fenn launched a treasure hunt when he announced that he had hidden a chest worth an estimated $1 million in the Rocky Mountains. Tens of thousands of people set out to search for the treasure — some of them obsessively.
What did Fenn put in his treasure chest? ›
It all started in 2010, when Forrest Fenn, an 80-year-old art dealer, hid a treasure chest in the Rocky Mountains north of Santa Fe, the capital of New Mexico. The 10x10-inch chest, worth millions, was filled with jewelry, rare gems, ancient artifacts and, of course, gold.
From gold to gemstones to copper to possibly even a queen's jewels, there are throngs of extremely valuable items hidden away in the mountains, coves, and oceans of the U.S. Some are easier to find than others. You might, for example, find treasure after just one afternoon immersed in Arkansas' Crater of Diamonds.
How did Fenn deliver the clues? ›
According to the article, where did Fenn place the nine clues to the treasure's location? He wrote the clues in a poem included in his memoir.
Who is suing Forrest Fenn? ›
Bruno Raphoz, who filed the most recent lawsuit, however, said the announcement that the treasure was discovered didn't line up with his own findings. He thinks Fenn went to find the treasure, publicly said it was found and kept it for himself, according to the lawsuit.
Has anyone found Forrest Fenn's treasure yet? ›
The adventure finally ended with Jack Stuef, a 32-year-old medical student, who found the chest at an undisclosed location in June 2020. Fenn died three months later at age 90. Now, pieces of Fenn's legendary treasure are once again up for grabs—only this time, they'll go to the highest bidder.
How long did it take to find Forrest Fenn treasure? ›
Fenn estimated over 350,000 people searched for the chest, and a few even died on their journey. Stuef spent two years searching for Fenn's treasure, which included gold, jewelry and other artifacts believed to total over $1 million. He finally found it in the Wyoming wilderness in June.
Has treasure ever been found on Oak Island? ›
Although these items can be considered treasure in their own right, no significant main treasure site has ever been found. The site consists of digs by numerous individuals and groups of people.
Where was the 20000 treasure hunt found? ›
It was at the North Ogden Divide near Ben Lomond Peak Trail.
Has buried treasure ever been found? ›
There are cases of buried treasure from different historical periods, such as the Dacian king Decebalus and Visigoth king Alaric I, who both changed the course of rivers to hide their treasures. Legends of buried pirate treasure have existed for centuries, but authenticated discoveries are rare.
Is Fenn still alive? ›
