What is kalsarikännit?

About this episode

Regular listeners will be familiar with a number of Scandinavian lifestyle trends by now, given we’ve discussed the likes of Denmark’s hygge, Sweden’s lagom and Norway’s friluftsliv on the show in the past. Today, we’re going to talk about a custom from Finland which has gained international recognition in recent years. Kalsarikännit is made up of two Finnish words: “kalsari", which means "underwear" and "kännit", which means "getting drunk’. An odd combination, you might be thinking. Put them together and what do you get? The term actually refers to the tradition of getting tipsy at home alone.  It has also been loosely translated and anglicised into the word “pantsdrunk”. How did it get to be so popular? Isn’t drinking alone at home kind of sad? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: ⁠Is it bad to drink water with a meal?⁠ ⁠Are Skyr yoghurts really good for you?⁠ ⁠Why is physical contact important for our health?⁠ A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. First Broadcast: 18/10/2023 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices