Table of contents
Flag flying days
A collection of official and honourary dates for which the Finnish flag is hoisted.
Legal enforcement
- February 28, Kalevala Day(Opens in new window) (Kalevalan päivä); the occasion is also celebrated as the Day of Finnish culture.
- May 1, Vappu(Opens in new window), the Day of Finnish Labour.
- Second Sunday in May, Mother’s Day (Äitienpäivä).
- June 4, birthday of Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim(Opens in new window), Marshal of Finland; the occasion is also celebrated as the Flag Day of the Finnish Defence Forces(Opens in new window).
- Saturday between 20 June and 26 June, Midsummer Day (Juhannus).
- Second Sunday in November, Father’s Day (Isänpäivä)
- December 6, Independence Day(Opens in new window) (Itsenäisyyspäivä).
Legal events
- When Finland holds parliamentary, presidential or local elections, elections to the European Parliament, or a referendum.
- The day the President of Finland(Opens in new window) is inagurated, occurring on 1 February or 1 March every 6 years.
Customary dates
- February 3, Day of Finnish architecture and design, birthday of Alvar Aalto(Opens in new window).
- February 5, Birthday of the national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg(Opens in new window).
- March 19, birthday of novelist and playwright Minna Canth(Opens in new window), Day of Equality.
- April 9, Day of the Finnish language(Opens in new window). On this day Mikael Agricola(Opens in new window), the founder of the literary Finnish language died, and Elias Lönnrot(Opens in new window), a collector of folklore was born.
- April 27, National War Veterans’ Day.
- May 9, Europe Day.
- May 12, Day of the Finnish Identity (or The Finnish Identity Day), birthday of the statesman Johan Vilhelm Snellman(Opens in new window).
- Third Sunday in May, memorial day for the war dead (everyone who has died in Finnish wars, combat-like duties or peacekeeping operations both during fighting and after they’ve ceased, including those executed or who have died as prisoners of war).
- July 6, birthday of the poet Eino Leino(Opens in new window); the occasion is also a celebration of poetry and summer.
- October 10, birthday of the national writer Aleksis Kivi(Opens in new window); the occasion is also celebrated as the Day of Finnish literature(Opens in new window).
- October 24, Day of the United Nations.
- November 6, Finnish Swedish Heritage Day(Opens in new window) and Gustavus Adolphus Day(Opens in new window).
- December 8, birthday of the component Jean Sibelius(Opens in new window); the occasion is also celebrated as the Day of Finnish music(Opens in new window).