Finnish Outhouse Series

Linn's September 2013 issue has an illustration of a booklet pane of four outhouses (#1427 and designs A877-80) first issued in March. I was rather surprised since no one of SCF had posted anything about such a unique subject for a stamp series. My wife said that it's really not much different from the lighthouses that the US portrays on its stamps. After a moment's thought she added that in many cases people are far happier to see an outhouse rather than a lighthouse. She had me there. Below is a website picture for one. I'm guessing that "Soumen kaunein huussi luonnos" translates to Finnish outhouse. Any more outhouses from other countries out there? Show us your outhouses!

http://www.posti.fi/tiedotteet/imag..._luonnos.png

I think Finland holds the rather dubious distinction of being the first stamp issuing country to depict outhouses on stamps. Here's a better illustration of the four stamps in the series:



Although it is obviously not "stamps" this topic will typically divert to postcards (some rather humorous) that address the topic.

wt1, thanks for the assist in showing four of Finland's "prettiest" outhouses.

Despite being humorous, there's a more serious 'green lifestyle' message with this set. It's estimated that in Finland alone roughly 200 million liters of fresh (drinking) water is used for flushing EVERY DAY, whereas with traditional outhouses it's basically null. Though Finland has extremely rich freshwater resources, it's something that everyone should think about.

Neat! I like the one with the smoke stack.

Remember to keep all these here and Not in the collecting water on stamps thread!!

Wow we have come a long way from a corn cob and a board with a hole in it!

David

Pretty stamps.

Unless this is a joke on me, Finland has a reason for putting outhouses on four of their stamps. I don't know if they have a notable lack of plumbing facilities there or just a good sense of humor. But keep Finland's climate in mind when they wake in the middle of the night and have to take that stroll...

Winters of southern Finland (when mean daily temperature remains below 32 °F) are usually about 100 days long, and the snow typically covers the land from about late November to mid-April. Even in the most temperate regions of the south, the harshest winter nights can see the temperatures fall to -22 °F.


-IBFS

Speaking as a "Finlander" (born in Canada to Finnish parents), this is a classic case of Finnish humour.

The translation is "Finland's most beautiful Outhouses".

In Australia this roughly translates to "Funny Dunny's".

Let me say from the outset that I like the Finish stamps and I am glad the Fins have sense of humor about such things.

And then let me say that I have a fairly rare disease called Reiter's Syndrome and have had it for over 30 years. It requires a genetic disposition to obtain and can be triggered by any of several bacterial infections which are in themselves bad but not horrible. The world's largest concentration of Reiter's Syndrome happens to be in Finland. Even there it is fairly rare, but more common than elsewhere. The Finish population often has just the right genetic disposition and the less than stellar sanitation found in many places in Finland is thought to be responsible for the prevalence of the disease. Each improvement in existing sanitary conditions reduces incidence of the disease somewhat...perhaps outhouses will someday be as uncommon in Finland as they are in the U.S.

Aside: the same genetic conditions that can cause Reiter's Syndrome may more frequently play a part in Leukemia, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Crone's disease, Multiple Sclerosis, or any of several other diseases.

Hope not as they're essential part of Finnish 'summer cottage experience' (with mosquitoes et all).

As far as their hygienic level goes, most outhouses are as clean as your average loo. No holes on the ground or anything similar due to strict environmental regulations. The modern commercial models even got freshwater tanks for hand washing, solar power for keeping places warm / cool.

-k-

No redbacks in the seat in Finland, though.

Thank god, no... I think currently the most 'dreaded' animals in Finnish nature are ticks (due to lyme disease and TBE).