nathansblogworld-blog

[nathansblogworld-blog]

This is so cool and so hilarious for me! After studying Finland for a semester, I had learned about how Finns love their saunas. There is one sauna (on average) for every two Finns in the country, and the sauna is so important in Finland that soldiers are given breaks according to the time it takes to enjoy a full sauna. Furthermore, the sauna is the first room completed in a brand new house in Finland. In general, Finns try to say that this is to keep warm in the winter, and there is probably some truth to this. Yet, I have to believe that Finns truly love the sauna not because it keeps them warm but because the entire culture is simply addicted. 

With this in mind, I also learned about the Finnish character and other social expectations. Finns commonly will not look each other in the eye when talking, and will say little to each other. I also found that Finns will take a long time to think thoroughly before they speak so they can say the least amount of words but still get the meaning out. An extrovert in Finland is not nearly the same thing as an extrovert in the United States as an extrovert in Finland is an introvert in the US. 

Comparing these two situations that are in the exact same culture is interesting to say the least. Maybe it is something about the steaming, hot, body limbering experience of a sauna that gets Finns to talk more and be more open about their lives in the sauna. Nevertheless, it is important when examining Finnish culture to understand that the sauna is a vital part of society and is almost the only place where Finns will be open and chatty.

Honestly Finland, y’all don’t look at each other in public but strip you half/or completely naked and shove you in a hot steamy room and y’all start chattering like birds.

[nathansblogworld-blog]

I found this blog to be extremely insightful for anyone going to Finland in general. Even though there are a few specifics about one region, from my research this semester on Finland the tips given in this blog are quite good. 

I especially appreciate how the lack of sunlight currently in Finland. Looking at a map, it would appear that Finland is not that far north, but in reality, Finland is around the same latitude as Alaska and goes through periods of immense darkness in the winter and light in the summer. This would come as a shock to people that do not realize this fact and therefore if you are vacationing in Finland it is important to plan accordingly. 

Another important aspect of culture that a traveler must be prepared to use skis and other physically demanding modes of transportation. The physical landscape of Finland at times can be very rugged and you should be ready for this. In some spots, there will be little vehicle traffic like we expect in the United States. Also, this may show that Finns are not afraid of using physical strength in everyday life.

The last point that I find is vital to know before going to Finland is the food. Reindeer meat is a staple of the diet and should be expected to have. Finns like to live off the land as much as possible and with the abundance of reindeer living in Finland it is not a stretch that reindeer is a big part of the diet. Additionally, it can be generally anticipated that much of the Finnish food will have base foods similar to the Westerner world. This includes wheat, barely, potatoes and other such foods. Even though the names will be different and the dishes prepared differently, there will still be a strong influence from Western culture in Finnish food.

In brief, I thought this advice really brought up some good points about Finland and the basics of culture. It is important to know some of the basic cultural differences before visiting a different country to be prepared and have the best experience possible.

Hello niu 🤓 if its ok with you. I was wondering what should i expect from Finland. This Christmas we are going to Laponia...I know there are activies to do there but what other cities will you recomend me to visit?? I've been on Helsinki too

Welcome to Finland and Lapland! You should be able to see northern lights if the weather is favorable while you are in Lapland. Note that they appear at random and aren’t on the sky each night. Sometimes it can be weeks without any but now it’s the darkest time of the year so there are good changes to see them when the sun is set between 3pm and 11am. 

Get ready for the daylight being sparse when you are in Lapland! You have only around 4 hours light time, then it gets dark again. In the northernmost parts it’s currently “kaamos” meaning the sun won’t rise at all for the next 3 months.

If you go out walking or skiing or anything where there are cars driving, add a reflector on you. They help drivers to see you in darkness and are operating as life guards. You can buy reflectors from any stores and kiosks and from some post offices! Bigger supermarkets have the best selection of different kind reflectors :3

Mauri Kunnas’s illustration reflectors are super cute!

WHAT TO DO?I must say I’m not familiar with Lapland as I have been there only once during summer. Oulu and Rovaniemi are the biggest cities in Lapland. Note that all Lapland cities are more like big villages and most of the “cities” are just villages. In Rovaniemi there’s Santa Claus’s house. You will most likely see lots of Japanese and Chinese tourists there :3Dress up warmly! Seek warmth if you are feeling too cold and if you have instructed activities, tell your instructor if you are feeling cold. We don’t want frostbites or something worse.

If you have possibility to try out sauna, please do :D Wood warmed saunas or traditional Finnish smoke saunas (which are rarity nowadays) are something you should try if possible. Reindeer meat is easy to find in Lapland as people are still herding reindeer there. Poronkäristys sauted reindeer with mashes potatoes and lingonberry jam is something to try out. You can buy it from grocery stores as a microwave meal, too, if you don’t want to eat it in a restaurant.

Try also traditional Lapland bread, rieska! You can buy these from any grocery store. Kaura is made from oat, peruna from potatoes, ohra from barley and just rieska is made from wheat.

Most importantly, have fun! <3

EDIT: OH AND GO SEE STARS OUTSIDE IF YOU ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF COMPLETE DARKNESS! Yiu will see and excellent night sky with milkyway and all. There won’t be any empty spot on the sky, it’s just SO filled with stars <3

[nathansblogworld-blog]

I think is such an awesome way to say you care about someone close to you. How often do we say to the important people like our family “Love you,” but really just say it in passing with little true emotion. We may deep inside truly mean what we are saying and our feelings towards each other, but do we really ever think about what we are saying? 

Additionally, the way Finns say I love you defines what love is. Essentially, I love you is an ambiguous term that is difficult to define in American society. What is exactly meant by these words can be clouded by our individual views and intention behind the words can be commonly confused. Meanwhile, Finns explicitly state their feelings. “You are the most important thing in my life,” wow, that leaves no room for interpretation, it is straight-forward and meaningful. There is no way that you can have two most important things in your life, so this creates an emotional bond that cannot be broken.

The meanings behind the words also show important aspects of Finnish society. The direct nature of these words demonstrates how Finns do not beat around the bush, they say what they mean and leave little room for error. This extends into other parts of their culture like in the business world. In essence, this way of saying how you a care about someone is true to the way that Finns typically talk is refreshing that people can just say what they believe straight-up. 

in finland we dont say “i love you”. we say “saatanan tonttu, mä sotken sut suohon” which roughly translates to “you are the most important thing in my life” and i think thats beautiful

[nathansblogworld-blog]

This map is very important for people to understand a culture. Sometimes I feel that people get lost in another culture because they do not understand the power of dialects. For some odd, maybe stuck up reason, Americans occasionally think only we have different dialects: southern, Texan, Bostonian, New Yorker, midwestern, etc. Yet, every nation has multiple dialects that we need to remember when visiting.

In Finland, those that are in the Eastern dialects tend to have a greater influence from the Russian language. They are closer to the Russians, and in general are a more rural area away from the international business dealings of the western world. Meanwhile, Western Finland is much closer with Western Europe in trade markets, political relations, and more that influenced Finnish dialect in the west. Furthermore, Swedish influence has a dramatic effect on the Finnish dialect in the northwest. 

The important lesson to learn from this map and from this knowledge is that you must always be aware of your surroundings when traveling. There are quirks everywhere you go, whether inside your own country or traveling abroad. For this reason, it is important before going somewhere to check up on your destination prior to learn a few hints that may go a long way. 

Map of Finnish dialects.

Keep reading

[nathansblogworld-blog]

I have to admit that I was surprised to see this article. I have read many articles about how Finland has had a historically bad history with Russia and does not like the Russians. Therefore, I was puzzled to see that Finland desired to add this hotline or emergency communication between themselves and Russia.

As neighbors, you could imagine that each has a good idea of what the other is doing. For instance, most Canadians know what is happening in America, what their stances on issues are and also the same for Americans to Canadians. Therefore, I find it intriguing that Finland found it necessary to increase communication even more with Russia. Potentially, the people may want to break more away from Russian influence than the government.

Still, I feel that there is a more liable reasoning for the actions of the Finnish government. As the article states, Finland has been extremely concerned about Russian advances, especially those happening in Crimea when Russia annexed the entire region away from the Ukraine. Finland may feel that closer communication with Russia could potentially stop something like this from occurring. Also, an old saying comes into my mind that may fit with the attitude of the Finns: “Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer.” From what I can tell, Finland does not view Russia as a friend, and is still trying to strengthen their defenses against Russia and bolster alliances with the US and other European nations. 

This article pinpoints the tension that still exists between Russia and Finland. It shows that Finland is a factor in regional and worldly politics that is an important piece for all other countries that have tense relations with Putin and the Russians. 

[nathansblogworld-blog]

I found this to be quite interesting. This must be just a Finnish thing because I am an American and I have never heard of such a thing. Basically at the lunch table it is either a complete shouting match where everyone is trying to say something at the same time, or it is completely quite. There seems to be no in between when it comes to conversations in American high schools. I admit, this system does not always work the best. People who are not the loudest most outspoken people seemingly never get a chance to speak their mind, and only those that out “compete” the other students ever gets to talk about something they want to talk about. In general, I feel like this also associates with American society as only the best and only the most outspoken ever gets their way.

Subsequently, in Finland where they apparently raise their hands at the lunch table, we may also be able to learn something about how the Finnish society views people. It is possible to infer that everyone’s opinion is more valued and equally recognized. Of course, some people I am sure are still too shy to raise their hands, but it appears that this way of communicating would work better for all. Furthermore, I feel that this politeness allows us to see that Finns communicate civilly and more controlled. I am sure there are a few times when someone gets angry and speaks out of turn, but I find this orderly fashion telling of how Finns communicate in public.

I don’t know if this is just a Finnish thing, but in my high school group when we’re talking during lunch and someone has something they want to say, but someone else is speaking, they kinda raise their hand like we’re in class to show that no one should start another story after the speaker has finished, because they have something they want to say

[nathansblogworld-blog]

Finland is still feeling the affects of the global economic problems recently experienced, and specifically the problems with the European Union. Every nation in this union took a hard hit to their economy, but they all have been slowly coming back. Finland on the other hand is not. They still are no signs of growth that is needed, and in some places there are even decreases in economic production.

Some believe this is caused from the products that Finland exports.In general raw materials are exported from Finland or money investments. Both of these rely heavily on the world market. Raw materials are bought less and consequently used less by nations around the world in times of recession. Cuts need to be made by these nations or else they will not be able to survive the recession. Many suspect that even as the nations of the world have economic upturns, they are still not spending as much money buying the materials that Finland is selling.

Another idea is that there are few new innovations in the Finnish workplace. Many workers, although they work hard, have become complacent with their monotone work and do not look to create  new things. The younger generation also is taking advantage of frugal unemployment benefits offered by the government that pay better than a job would.

All of these problems are culminating towards disaster for the Finns. Pay cuts by the government are being discussed, and adding new incentives to younger works. Pay cuts will not sit well with the citizens as expenses seem to be going higher and higher. There is no doubt that watching the Finnish economy will be intriguing over the course of the upcoming years, and I am curious to see how they decide to address their economic problems and if they work.

[nathansblogworld-blog]

When looking at a new country, it is vital to examine the religion of that nation to understand more about the culture and what they believe in. Therefore, a brief description of the Finnish religion is important to understand the culture of Finland.

After the Swedes started converting to Lutheranism or becoming Protestant in the 16th Century, Finland soon followed suit. Since Finland at the time was still under the control of Sweden, it is easy to see how this connection was important. Finns bought in to Lutheranism so much that in 1593 Lutheranism became the national religion. This national church was named the Church of Finland, a state run organization from its infancy. Everyone Finn had to be a part of this Church of Finland up until 1922 when you could join other churches or not go to church at all. Currently 80% of the population still associates themselves with the state religion. 

Through my readings I understood that the church was sponsored by the state, but had never fully recognized the church as a state run organization. There is no separation of church and state in Finland and this can tell us many things about the culture. We can infer that Finns in general like a structured, governmental live in all facets of life, even when it comes to religious beliefs which are believed to be one of the most important individual freedoms in the United States. 

There is the possibility that the Church of Finland worked well for Finns is that it creates, as much as possible, a homogeneous society with few differences. From what I can tell, Finns enjoy efficiency and practicality. Diversity in religions, attitudes, and other aspects generally does not create an efficient society because not everyone is the same. By standardization of the government, special traits and different perspectives are lost. When governments try to make everyone the same in their beliefs and every part of their lives, there is little creativity to be found.

This is why the United States, even with all of our issues, is one of the best countries in the world. We have the freedom and opportunity to become whoever we want and to belief whatever we want. This diverse society may not always be efficient, and there are immense amounts of problems between the different social groups, but that is okay. In short, I was surprised to see that Finland has a national church, but it appears to fit well with their overall attitude of how society should work.

[nathansblogworld-blog]

The Finnish government has recently installed a plan to provide a 560 Euro a month stipend to every single citizen of Finland. An average worker in the private center in Finland makes about 3,500 Euros a month. The idea behind the new plan is that many people decided to not find work because they would lose their unemployment benefits that paid them more than working would do (this is a major problem as there is no incentive to work harder and earn more because why work when you can get paid more for not working? But that is another issue over economics). In the new plan, all citizens of Finland would receive this stipend regardless of whether they had a job or not, regardless of what they were paid for that job. This theoretically cuts down on bureaucracy of trying to figure out who gets what and when and all of those problems. Also, this may potentially solve poverty issues and tragedies like that as everyone would have some amount of money to do something with every month. Lastly, in the early stages of this program they found that many people became less stressed as they realized the government would just do more to help if they needed to. They would not need to worry about losing out on money by finding a job, or any other similar issues.

This all sounds great and in an ideal world I feel that Finland is right on track. But I also feel that I must interject my opinion about the entire plan. Even though everyone likes receiving money and it makes people feel good about themselves, there is an economic saying that goes, “There is no such thing as a free lunch.” This means that someone has to pay for it. If the government prints more money then inflation rises and the currency is not worth anything. If the government taxes the rich more then the rich will just leave to find a country that will not tax them. And lastly, the bulk of the people will feel that it is not their responsibility to take care of themselves. Many say Finns are completely okay living under a “Nanny State” where the government does everything, but I do just not see how I would personally allow for that to happen or how it is a good thing. Another point specific to this new Finnish plan, the government has decided that they will not force the money to be used for food or necessities of life. The people who receive this can spend it however they want. I do not understand how the government controls so many aspects of Finnish life, but the one time government interests should be addressed and expanded, they do not and give much individual freedom to the people.

In brief, the new government stipends for the Finnish people seems like an excellent program at the moment, but I am extremely wary about the long term effects and what it may do to the nation of Finland.

[nathansblogworld-blog]

In the spirit of Halloween, I am here to say that Americans are not so special thinking we are the only ones that have Halloween. Our Halloween comes from the Christian All Hallows Eve and on November 1st it is All Saints Day. The bad spirits run around doing evil on All Hallows Eve but are replaced with the saints of the world that come back to give us good tidings on All Saints Day. Cool back story, but obviously most Americans do not think about Halloween as being a Christian thing. 

I found it fascinating though that the Finns find a way to celebrate similar to we do just at a different time of the year. By dressing up and going out to get candy and wish blessings on their neighbors for Palm Sunday it shows that even though it is not called Halloween others in the world essentially celebrate the same way. 

Interestingly enough though, I was reading up on other sites that Finland is beginning to celebrate the American style Halloween on October 31st as well, only they put their own twist to it. American culture has been spreading across the world since it became so heavily involved in trade, and American holidays have been spreading with it. In Finland many adults liked the idea of Halloween, and stole it for themselves. Since kids have Palm Sunday to dress up and get candy, the adults decided they would start throwing costume parties on Halloween night and serve many adult beverages. 

We can learn from this that along with the trade that occurs between countries their cultures can also be traded. We are learning more and more about cultures from around the world and they are learning more about us. Another aspect to think about is the fact that we are seeing new cultures and sometime people react poorly to this. Just because Finns do not celebrate Halloween the time we think it, does not mean they do not celebrate it. 

Fun thing about Finland: we don't really do trick-or-treating in here on Halloween but on Easter we do a similar thing when kids dress up as witches or idk maybe bunnies and go out on Palm Sunday to knock on people's doors and they have these branches of willow with decorations and and kids wish people happiness and health and in exchange of that and the branch they get some candy or maybe a little bit of money :D It's an old tradition that mixed with Christian religion which is common here

Whoa that’s so cool?! I always knew Halloween was more of an American thing (I mean, Americans really hype up Halloween) and I’ve always been curious if other countries just follow suit, don’t celebrate it at all, or do their own thing :3

[nathansblogworld-blog]

I loved looking at the aspects of Finland that are viewed as memorable moments that you would never forget from a trip to Finland. When looking specifically at these 17 moments, I find that in general there is an outdoor theme. Sure there is “Bar hopping in Helsinki and discovering how modern Finnish food is, but overall most things have to do with the outdoors.

For instance, getting stuck in a “Traffic Jam” that is caused by caribou and not cars, interesting to say the least. Biking around the countryside, swimming in lakes, kayaking across lakes, and of course the beautiful sky all are a part of the awesome nature of Finland. All of these “unforgettable moments” when visiting Finland reflect the connection between the people of Finland and the outdoors around them. Because Finland markets these types of activities as their best, we can infer that most Finns really love the outdoors. And honestly, who could blame them with all of the beauty they have? Lastly, I also realized that many, not all, of the unforgettable moments are in the summer time. This is due to the intensely cold Finnish winter. In essence, the interesting moments that you can have in Finland, most likely won’t be in-doors. 

[nathansblogworld-blog]

I find this really interesting because all of the research and books that I have read about the Finns say that they are happy people that love life. The sources say that Finns are very serious people, but that talk about how generally Finns are content with their lives. 

There was even a story about how a Finn would shovel out their driveway for an hour, and then after that was done a snowplow would push more snow into the driveway and then the person would have to shovel for another hour. Still though, the Finn when asked if he had any trouble would simply reply no. This seems like a happy go lucky attitude, so I find it extremely interesting that someone from Finland says that it is a land of depression and alcoholics (although my research does mention how a favorite pass time is to go to Estonia and get drunk). 

A phrase that I am reminded of after hearing this is, “The grass is always greener on the other side.” Everyone always thinks that they are in a terrible position, but maybe it isn’t too bad. Americans always complain about how terrible our lives are, and in some aspects they are, but maybe it is not as bad as we think.

The kids pronounce Finland “Fidleland” which makes it sound like I’m coming from a land of fiddles.

No I’m coming from a land of depression and alcoholics

[nathansblogworld-blog]

As an American, I feel kind of embarrassed by the ignorance of one of my fellow countrymen. First off, Scandinavia is not a country, it is a group of similarly cultured nations. Each of these nations have some similarities to each other, but there are many differences, for one, language. The people of Sweden speak Swedish, and the people of Finland speak Finnish. Why is this such a big surprise to some people?

We can learn from the ignorance of others in multiple ways. For one, do not speak definitively when you do not know the answer to something. We should instead question, and phrase our questions in the correct manner. This person should have asked, “What dialect do you speak?” or something along those lines. This way, a deeper understanding can be found and you do not seem like an idiot. 

Along with this, maybe we need to steal a characteristic of many Finnish people. I have read that in general someone from Finland will take time to listen, comprehend, and then use in direct, to the point language. This way, what we say would be calculated and precise, avoiding things that we do not really mean or adding many useless words. 

This situation can also go around on the other foot though. I am sure that many people from around the world think that all Americans eat burgers every day and talk with a Texas drawl. If you have ever been to Boston those myths will be gone as soon as you get yelled at by an angry Bostonian with clam chowder in his hands. 

In summation, there is much ignorance in this world because we do not think before we speak, and we do not think to become informed before we engage in this conversation. A valuable tool would be to seek to understand first, and then engage in deeper conversations. 

I think my favorite experience with an American was when I said “I’m from Finland” and she said “Oh so do you speak Scandinavian?” and I swear to god nothing will ever surpass that moment

[nathansblogworld-blog]

This is not an article, but I wanted to share a picture of the beauty of Finland. There is more too this picture though than just an amazing view. For one, it shows how far geographically north Finland really is (evident by all the snow). This effects the travel and communication of the nation as a whole. The large amounts of snow and the blistering cold weather (-30 C at times) make travel difficult during the winter time. Therefore, different forms of entertainment are needed. 

 From reading my book, I read about how Finns generally love to be outdoors and it is obvious why. The beauty of the land is a main source of entertainment. Some may think that having views like this quite often would eventually lead to sites such as this not being so interesting, on the contrary the Finns seem to love it even more because they get it all of the time. Commonly, Finns will ski for hours upon hours just to get to their humble cabins that they love to reconnect to this nature and this beauty.

We can learn that from this that the Finns have a deeper appreciation of the gifts they have been blessed with. Instead of excepting views like this, like Americans except to have McDonald’s and football on Sundays, Finns seem to take the time to relish in every part of what they have. Even if we do not get views like this everyday where we live, what are some things that we maybe take for granted that we should appreciate more. In brief, the beauty of Finland is astounding and what is even more remarkable is that this natural beauty is a continuous love and point of pride for all Finnish people.

Inari - Finland (by Fernando García) 

[nathansblogworld-blog]

Finland will see a quick boom in the upcoming years of its economy, but is predicted to slide back down after these few short years. Finland’s bounce back is in correlation with the surge in the Russian economy over the previous year. 

Yet, Finland appears to have upcoming problems. When the economy was booming, there were new techniques and new incentives in the labor field. Consequently, new advances were made in the economy. Lately, no new businesses or new incentives from companies or the government has been offered. Therefore, young people are leaving to go to other nations that have better job outlooks. Finland’s job market is now filled with an aging workforce with few new ideas or starting businesses. To keep a healthy economy, there must always be new things and growth or else something like this will be projected.

Reasoning for this lack of ideas could be rooted in the Finnish culture. In general, it is very similar to the German culture that can be stubborn in their ways. Generally, Germany does not allow this to extend into their economy, but Finland might be letting this part of their culture slip into their economy. 

The Finnish government is attempting to make reforms in the way that employment works. They are trying to encourage growth, but that raises governmental debt. Finland needs to find a way to keep their young businessman with fresh ideas for the economy inside their country, or else the predictions of little growth in the next decade will come true.

[nathansblogworld-blog]

Whether most people believe it or not, Finland is in an extremely important location of the world, especially when it comes to US Russian relations. Because Finland has a 840-mile border with Russia, a strong alliance between the NATO and Finland would be crucial to US policies. If Finland were to join NATO, Russia would lose more control of their region and would be watched much closer by the NATO alliance. This would happen because the nation of Finland would want to report any Russian activity that would be deemed a threat to Finland. 

With the importance of the alliance stated, it is obvious that Russia would threaten harsh actions in response to a move like this by Finland. To put this into comparison, Finland joining NATO is equivalent to Russia building military bases in Cuba during the Cold War. The US fought tooth and nail to ensure the Soviet Union would not be that close to the American border. In a similar way, Finland joining NATO would allow American troops under the authority of NATO to be stationed along the Finish border.

 Finland has always felt oppressed and disrespected by Russia in political relations. By joining NATO, Finland would be making a statement that they have moved on from Russian influence. Yet, currently Finland may be still too economically involved with Russia. As neighbors they trade often, and threats by Russia to end this trade may cause a massive economic downturn. 

To solve these matters, Finland needs to be working extra hard to find new trading partners (diversify their trading) and to become less reliant on Russian relations if they truly want to separate themselves from Russia. The voice of the people supports these ideas as more than 50% of Finnish do not want to join NATO. We can interpret this as Finnish people worrying more about their economic condition, rather than their foreign policy. This may also tell us that in the people the hatred towards Russia is not strong enough yet to make this big of a statement. Still though, this decision is up for the Finnish Government to decide, and it will be interesting to see whether the leaders listen to the slight majority or make their own decision. 

[nathansblogworld-blog]

I can honestly say that this fact thoroughly shocked me when I first saw this. Initially I thought about how morbid this is, then I thought about why an army would take the time to stand up frozen corpses in the snow. This process would take time and effort, so why did Finnish troops do this really if it was not practical?

For one, Russia and Finland have been bitter enemies for their entire history, as Russia has controlled Finland many times, and still today desires to dominate Finnish politics. This anger pushes people to exact their revenge in all ways possible and by displaying dead bodies it sends a signal that they are willing to do whatever it takes to defend themselves. 

Also, we can learn about how Finnish people thought psychologically. They felt that it would be worth their time to mess with the Russian mind instead of using their time more practically (say building defenses or training). This highlights the importance Finnish people put on their state of mind. They care about how their people are feeling and this means that Finnish people understand that there is not a physical answer to every problem, sometimes an psychological approach can be more effective.

Furthermore, this could tell us that in Finland they look at problems from emotional aspects as well as physical aspects. This would be important when communicating with someone from Finland, and could also come into play when a business transaction may be negotiated. 

Even though at the surface level this image seems to tell us that Finish people are morbid, after deeper analysis you can realize reasons for the action besides the obvious. This may includes that they do not believe presenting dead bodies in the open as terrible as an act or even that psychological warfare is just as important as physical warfare. 

The corpse of a Russian soldier stands rigid in a clearing during the Winter War. This scare tactic was used by Finnish troops to intimidate Russians invaders as they advanced through hellish winter conditions. Finland, December 1939.

via reddit