Flag flying days
A collection of the dates, whether official or honourary, on which the Finnish flag is hoisted.
Legal enforcement
- 28 February, Kalevala Day(Opens in new window) (Kalevalan päivä); the occasion is also celebrated as the Day of Finnish culture
- 1 May, Vappu(Opens in new window), the Day of Finnish Labour
- Second Sunday in May, Mother’s Day (Äitienpäivä)
- 4 June, 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)
- 6 December, 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
- 3 February, Day of Finnish architecture and design, birthday of Alvar Aalto(Opens in new window)
- 5 February, Birthday of the national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg(Opens in new window)
- 19 March, birthday of novelist and playwright Minna Canth(Opens in new window), Day of Equality
- 9 April, 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
- 27 April, National War Veterans’ Day
- 9 May, Europe Day
- 12 May, 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 a POW)
- 6 July, birthday of the poet Eino Leino(Opens in new window); the occasion is also a celebration of poetry and summer
- 10 October, 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).
- 24 October, Day of the United Nations
- 6 November, Finnish Swedish Heritage Day(Opens in new window) and Gustavus Adolphus Day(Opens in new window)
- 8 December, 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)