Saying – Haamenlina, Finland

Oppia ikä kaikki.

Oppia ikä kaikki
Acquire Year everybody

Everybody acquires a year

It seems once you past the age of 30, you grow more and more worried that you are getting older, and that your end is nearing.  My informant, a housewife, tells me about her worries of getting old age.

This phrase is another consoling saying that makes one feel better about their life and how it in reality is coming to an end. My informant is very occupied with her looks and worried about wrinkles and bags under her eyes, that her sister has to commonly remind her that everybody is getting older, not just her, so stop complaining.

My informant notified me that this phrase is used in many ways and in different contexts, but she often hears it relating to a woman who has gained another year of age.  It sometimes can be seen as a joke making fun of hear age, making her feel better that everyone is getting older, or that with age comes wisdom.

Sometimes we forget as we get older, that everyone else is also getting older too, and that we have nothing to worry about because it is a natural part of life.

In Finland, they seem not to place as much respect on their elders as other cultures may.  It is common that old people are put in old folks homes, which gives reason for older woman to worry about age.