Väinämöisen hattu, or väiski, is a traditional headdress of the Nordic countries in general and Finland in particular. In essence, it is a woolen or cotton hat with stripes, with a brim. In order to somehow distinguish the Finns from other peoples, starting from about the 18th century, they were depicted in art wearing such hats. From the beginning, these hats were white- (actually gray- from the harsh Finnish weather) blue, that is, the colors of the Finnish flag.
Later, the hats appeared in paintings by Akseli Gallen-Kallela and Pekka Halonen, in different colors but in the same style. Gallen-Kallela depicted Väinämöinen, the main character of the Kalevala epic, wearing this hat, and the name stuck.
In the early 20th century, when the Finns were fighting for independence from the Russian Empire, men wearing such hats could be seen at meetings of secret and not-so-secret organizations. This was how they emphasized that they were neither Swedes nor Russians, but Finns.
In the 2000s, funny comics by Karolina Korhonen appeared about a typical Finn, Matti, who feels awkward in various life situations. In these comics, Matti appears in this very cap in the colors of the Finnish flag. The author said in one of her interviews that her father wore a Väinämöinen cap when traveling abroad to emphasize his own Finnishness. This annoyed Karolina terribly, and she tried to pretend that she was vacationing there herself. At the age of 10.
It so happened that the Finns have a national costume, but no everyday elements of Finnishness. In 2018, a Helsingin Sanomat journalist asked people on the street whether the Väinämöinen hat could become such an element, and the Finns made uncertain faces.
A friend of mine, who has lived in France for a long time, recently attended a private party to celebrate her French citizenship. The dress code was “French clichés,” so people came in vests, red lipstick, berets, and baguettes.
I wondered what I would wear to a similar party in Finland. My options were a Marimekko dress, leggings, and rubber boots. Because “s” is for style, “S” is for Suomi. Then I asked Markus, and his first answer was “väiski.” It was immediately obvious which of us was born in Finland and which one came here.