How to get engaged in the States and Finland
The differences in culture and tradition are vast… 
| United States | Finland | |
| At what age to get engaged? |
After college |
As a teenager |
| How long to stay engaged? | 6-12 months | Forever |
| What to get for the engagement? |
A diamond ring |
Nothing |
| Where to get engaged? | Restaurant, romantic location, or baseball stadium | In your bedroom |
| How to propose? | Get down on one knee…in front of all your friends and family | Discuss, debate |
| Females propose to males? | Wtf? | Yes, sadly |
|
Why get engaged? |
Pregnant! | Cause you’re drunk, or you’ve been living together for 15+ years |
|
How to tell others about your engagement? |
Pompous announcement to the world | Quietly wait until others, even your own parents, see a ring on your finger |
|
Cost of the diamond? |
3 months salary | Whatever is cheapest |
| The rings? | Diamond ring at engagement, wedding bands for marriage | Engagement bands a few days after proposal, diamond ring at marriage |
| Ask the father? |
Yes |
Who? |
| Where to get gifts? | Engagement Party | Future brides go door-to-door with a pillowcase to receive gifts |
Make me laugh to tears!! hahaha~
Comment by Ji — Thu, Jan 8th, 2009 @ 11:55 am
Who wrote that? That’s not all true, is it? I mean most to the stuff on the US side is, but I have no clue about Finns.
Comment by Mere — Tue, Jan 13th, 2009 @ 9:11 pm
Mere, well, as a Finn I didn’t really see anything worth objecting to in the Finnish side of the table.
Comment by Anonymous — Tue, Jan 20th, 2009 @ 3:30 pm
I certainly would have like to go door to door to get presents!
I didn’t have an engagement party and since I elopped, we didn’t get presents. Oh well! I did get some money at my bridal shower/bachalorette party.
Comment by Mere — Wed, Jan 21st, 2009 @ 7:00 pm
I suppose everything else is true on the Finnish side, but never heard of brides collecting presents with a pillow-case.
Comment by Anni — Sat, Jan 31st, 2009 @ 4:24 pm
yes thats them,they are quite good thieves and they get by on stealing from the old,sick and dying.they cant get children ,because markku cant get hard kulli,and leena has diseased,dry and smelly vittu,also vittu is now tooold and her back is far too bent.
Comment by lea vartiala — Mon, Oct 26th, 2009 @ 12:17 am
1.) Are there existing legitimate consquences after you are oficially engaged, maybe over a lawyer ? For example financial implications when people have costs due to the engagement.
2.) Does have one of the engaged participant a legal right to marry the engaged partner ?
Comment by Peter — Sun, Apr 25th, 2010 @ 9:28 pm