Finland becomes the first country to launch its own emoji

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Matthew Hussey

Commissioning Editor

Matt Hussey was the former Editor-in-Chief for The Next Web. Previously he worked on the launch of Wired UK, ShortList and Mr Porter. He's b (show all) Matt Hussey was the former Editor-in-Chief for The Next Web. Previously he worked on the launch of Wired UK, ShortList and Mr Porter. He's been an active contributor to GQ, FHM, Men's Health, Yahoo, The Daily Telegraph and maintains a blog on Huffington Post

Finland, the land of saunas, the Nokia 3310 (it’s the only phone that ever mattered tbh) and Rovio games has become the land that also has its own set of emoji.

There’s a naked man and woman enjoying a sauna, the Nokia 3310 (yes!) and a headbanger, because the Finns just lurrve metal music.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs released the Finnish symbols as part of a set of 30 that will form part of a Christmas calendar that will be released next month. It’s not clear whether they’ll be released on to the Web as a downloadable set, so right now they feel a bit like pictograms to us. But the Ministry is quite insistent they are emoji.

“The emojis used especially by young people have revolutionised [sic] communications in the same way as the invention of the text message. Emojis are used to communicate visually rather than verbally, and that suits Finns,” says Petra Theman, Director for Public Diplomacy.

The emoji were designed by Art Director Bruno Leo Ribeiro of the marketing and communication agency hasan & partners, together with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

If you’re looking to have a Finnish Christmas, the calendar will be available in 13 languages including Spanish, Chinese and Russia.