THE SOCIAL MIRROR

They are round, white, happy and only awake during the summer; they are the Moomins. Created by Tova Jansson in the 1940’s, a Swedish-speaker Finn, whose hometown is Helsinki.

The Moomins are part of the Finnish identity and there is no Finnish family who hasn't visited the Moomin World in Naantali or own at least one Moomin mug.

The Icon - Moomin Mug:

The Moomin mugs are huge icon in Finland, and the company who produce them and other Moomin products, Arabia, never miss a chance to make more money with launching new mugs and series of dishes with the loved characters. It’s unbelievable how many people are willing to stand up in long lines for hours just to get the newest edition.

Moomin World in Naantali: (highly recommended!)

The magical Moomin-themed park in Naantali (south-west Finland) is a must for Moomins’ fans of all ages. First, it's located on an island which has beautiful nature trails and beach huts. In addition, there are theatre shows, police stations and the characters themselves including their friends from the books and the show.

As a kid, I always dreamed of visiting the blue tall house where the Moomins live, and the Moomin world is the closer you can get in stepping into this magical world. Moreover, the staff act very good and really get into their character. The Moomin family doesn't speak but the rest are doing a great job!  

Little My (Pikku Myy) is super energetic and keeps everyone active

Sniff just being lazy

The witch is really good, old and grumpy just like in the show

Filljonk is hilarious walking around and doesn't stop talking and mumbling to herself

These two even sound the same like in the show

And Snufkin just hanging around

For those who’s not familiar with the Moomins, they live in “Moominvalley (which) is an idyllic and peaceful place where the Moomins live in harmony with nature” (MOOMIN.com).

Finns are strongly connected to their nature. Supporting this fact is my research on this subject, where Finns choose the nature as number one as the best thing about Finland (Finland’s greatness). No wonder that the Moomins enjoy nature and spend most of their time there. The landscape in Finland and in the Moomins books/series is identical, especially the forests and the archipelago (an island group or island chain) which is surrounded the Finnish coastline where the Moomins advantages occur.  

The Moomins also sleep during the winter, which can be understandable comparing it to the dark, long and cold Finnish winter. I think some mostly spend their time in a warm bed just like the Moomins. The Finnish food is also part of the Moomins world, especially, the pancakes with berries’ jam, fish and buns.

For me, all the characters are forms of Finnish attitude as they're all peaceful and relaxed but Snufkin is the pure Finnish type, as he spends his time alone relaxing in the nature.