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There's a Finnish word for drinking at home in your pants instead of going out and we love it

Pull your damn socks up, the English language

There's a Finnish word for drinking at home in your pants instead of going out and we love it
21 February 2017

Going out is fraught with complication: it costs money, requires planning, plus there are people out there. People are bad. But as the months stroll on and summer beckons you with a sly glimpse of its seasonal garter, you might be tricked into leaving your house by the promise of warm sunshine, sex, cold Kopparberg, but the Finns, man... the Finns of Finland: they’ve got the idea.

Kalsarikanni roughly translates to “drinking home alone in your underwear, with no intention of going out” and is the concept we all need to embrace this year.

Scandinavia is cold and dark and expensive, but they’re happy, regularly topping those Happiness Rankings that are light-heartedly peddled by experts and hamfistedly co-opted by tabloids in a bid to make you feel bad about yourself. We’ve all already tried to channel some hygge into our daily lives, tried to affect the cool minimalism of a Swedish wardrobe, and, uh… whatever Norway does, so it stands to reason that we should listen to the Finns here: 

The idea itself is sound, and while we wouldn’t recommend it every day, it’s probably a lot safer than attempting to dredge yourself out of a post-work slump with endless pints and the occasional, misguided sambuca. And while nobody’s quite sure if kalsarikanni is a verb or a noun, we’re ready to wade into the art of staying in on your ones and getting gently lashed in front of the telly in your bills with a full heart.

Finland already gave us the the internet browser, the heart-rate monitor, and the bubble chair - why shouldn't we trust their judgement now?