Intiaanikesä

Vol 28 Issue 01 12th September 2025

Hi everyone, a new semester has started! After the long holiday, we are back to school, ready to study and also to meet friends again. Summer has already gone, but last week the weather was still very warm and sunny. It felt almost like summer again, even if the calendar shows September.

In Finland, people have a special word for this kind of warm time in early autumn. They call it intiaanikesä, which means “Indian summer.” I really like this word. It is short, but it gives a very clear picture. The weather is no longer real summer, but still we can enjoy a few beautiful and warm days.

When I heard this word, I remembered my home country. In Chinese we also have a name for this. We call it 秋老虎 (qiū lǎo hǔ), or “autumn tiger.” The idea is similar: even after summer, the heat comes back for a short time, strong like a tiger. Maybe every culture has its own way to describe this feeling, because everyone likes to talk about the weather.

For me, these warm days are very special. They feel like a small gift from nature before the long, dark winter. I enjoy walking outside without a jacket, seeing children play in the park, or drinking coffee on the balcony in the sunshine. It makes me feel happy and calm. It also makes the first school days easier. Warm weather gives me more energy and makes study life brighter.

So now I am curious: in your country or hometown, do you also have a word or saying for this kind of weather? Maybe we can share them and learn together. That would be a nice way to begin our semester, with stories from different places, just like this beautiful intiaanikesä in Finland.