The Drama of Belonging: A Reflection on Finland’s Coming-of-Age Tradition

The other day I was discussing with a friend whether Finland is more religious than Spain. The conversation came up because her son’s rippikoulu — the Lutheran confirmation rite — was approaching. She disagreed with me: ‘Finland isn’t religious,’ she said. ‘It’s just something people do.’ And she’s not wrong. On the surface, Finland appears…

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