It seems that more people want to be labeled "Nordic" these days.
After talking to people from different parts of Europe, I have come to realize that being "Nordic" is a matter of perspective. As an American, I've always thought of Nordic as Swedish, Finnish, or Norwegian, since these countries sort of hang above the rest of the European peninsula on the map. After moving to Finland, I discovered something called "Nordic walking," which is speed walking with what looks like two cross country skiing poles. Cross country skiing is often referred to as "Nordic skiing." Then, there are "Nordic-style" wool sweaters, hats, and socks. But what does Nordic really mean?
When I talk to Estonian and Latvian friends, or read literature from those countries' business promotion and tourist boards, they sometimes refer to themselves as "Nordic." Most Finns and Swedes I know don't consider these former Soviet republics to be Nordic. The Nordic countries, to them, are Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. An informal poll of my American friends came up with the same results. Is calling themselves Nordic just wishful thinking on the part of Estonians and Latvians, in the charge to become more Western and affluent, or are there real similarities with other countries who consider themselves to be Nordic?
There are some similarities between Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Estonia in culture, cuisine, landscape, weather, and some cultural attitudes. As for language Estonian and Finnish are in the same language group, which is different from the language group for Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian. Latvia doesn't really fall into this group.
In my humble opinion, this disagreement on who is Nordic and who is not Nordic is merely semantics. The reality is that Europe is becoming more inclusive as former eastern and Soviet republics join the European Union. The low standard of living and the legacy of the Soviet system is becoming a part of the past as Estonia and Latvia receive more investment from the EU and other Western countries, and individuals benefit from growing economies. So, maybe Estonia and Latvia should think of themselves as Baltic Europeans instead of Nordic Europeans. Then again, do we really need another classification for countries to differentiate themselves?
