The danger is greatest if you get between the mother and her cubs. The usefulness of the bear as a symbol may be somewhat limited by the fact that the former Soviet Union, and now Russia, are internationally symbolized by a big bear whose every action must be anticipated by its smaller neighbours. Nevertheless, the phrase 'living next door to the bear' is not in general use in Finland, and Finnish cartoonists seldom portray Russia as a bear. The birch, Betula pendula , with its light green foliage and bright white trunk, is a prominent feature of the Finnish summer. The birch is also decorative on a frosty winter's day.
Birches are one of the most popular domestic trees in Finland.
The birch is one of the most common trees in Finnish forests, alongside the spruce and pine. It has always held an important place in the life of Finnish people. The rural Finnish culture of days gone by is often referred to as the 'birch-bark culture', and for good reason, although the expression is also used in a derogatory sense. The leafy twigs were made into sauna switches, but they could also be dried to make winter fodder for cattle. As an exotic import from faraway lands, white birch bark even found its way into the treasures in the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamen.