Thanksgiving in Helsinki

This year was my first Thanksgiving away from home. Luckily I didn’t have to face it alone. Fulbright Finland sponsored a two-day Thanksgiving event in Helsinki that was the perfect way to hamper feelings of sadness on this day that is so significant to my own family.

Photos courtesy of Fulbright Finland.

Upon arriving to Helsinki, we took a 40-minute bus (and 1 km walk) out to the Fazer Experience Visitor Center. Fazer is one of the largest food companies in Finland with restaurants, bakeries, cafes, and candy. We were most interested in the candy. Though it wasn’t the chocolate factory tour that many of us expected, we still had fun learning about the company’s history and trying as much candy as we could in 15 minutes.

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After some much-need relaxation at the hotel, we headed over to the Fulbright Bicentennial Chair apartment for a Thanksgiving dinner potluck. The family graciously prepared most of the meal while others brought various sides. We had a great time eating, chatting, and being entertained by the kids. While very different than my typical Thanksgiving, I couldn’t have wished for a better way to spend the day abroad!

The next morning we went to the Parliament House and got to eat lunch with a few members, where we learned what it’s like to hold the position in Finland. Additionally, we sat in on the beginning of a plenary session and took a tour of the building.

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Finally, Emilia, a member of the Fulbright Finland team, taught some of us how to play floorball, a popular sport in Finland. The game is fast-paced and a fantastic workout. It was pretty fun!

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Thanks to the entire Fulbright Finland team for ensuring that we had a wonderful Thanksgiving away from home!