Flag days in Finland

The Finnish flag

Various days are referred to as Flag days in Finland.

Legal enforcement

By law, the Finnish flag must be flown from public buildings on the following days:^[1]

• 28 February, day of Kalevala; the occasion is also celebrated as the Day of Finnish culture
• 1 May, Vappu, the Day of Finnish Labour
• Second Sunday in May, Mother's Day
• 4 June, birthday of Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, Marshal of Finland; the occasion is also celebrated as the Flag Day of the Finnish Defence Forces
• Saturday between 20 June and 26 June, Midsummer Day; the occasion is also celebrated as the Day of the Finnish Flag. The flag is hoisted on Midsummer's eve at 6 PM and flown through the night until 9 PM the next day.
• 6 December, Independence Day
• Days when Finland holds parliamentary, presidential and local elections, elections to the European Parliament, or a referendum
• The day the President of Finland is inaugurated

Days on which flying the Finnish flag is an established custom

It has become customary to fly the Finnish flag on the following occasions. The dates are also listed in the Finnish State Calendar compiled by the University of Helsinki, and it is recommended that the flag is flown on these occasions in the same way as on those prescribed by law.^[2]

• 5 February, birthday of the national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg
• 19 March, birthday of novelist and playwright Minna Canth, Day of Equality, beginning in 2007
• 9 April, the day Mikael Agricola, the founder of the literary Finnish died and Elias Lönnrot, a collector of folklore was born; the occasion is also celebrated as the Day of the Finnish language
• 27 April, National War Veterans' Day
• 9 May, Europe Day
• 12 May, Day of the Finnish Identity, birthday of the statesman Johan Vilhelm Snellman
• 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; the occasion is also a celebration of poetry and summer
• 10 October, birthday of the National writer Aleksis Kivi; the occasion is also celebrated as the Day of Finnish literature
• 24 October, Day of the United Nations
• 6 November, Finnish Swedish Heritage Day and Gustavus Adolphus Day
• Second Sunday in November, Father's Day
• 8 December, birthday of the composer Jean Sibelius; the occasion is also celebrated as the Day of Finnish music^[3]

Time

The flag is flown from 8 AM to sunset; however, even in summer at most to 9 PM. There are three exceptions:

• on Midsummer the flag is flown from 6 PM on Midsummer Eve to 9 PM on Midsummer Day
• on Independence Day the flag is flown from 8 AM to 8 PM.
• on election days, if the election goes on after sunset, the flag is flown from 8 AM to 8 PM

See also

• Holidays in Finland
• National anthem of Finland
• Flag Day (a list of Flag Days in various countries)

References

1. ↑ Asetus liputuksesta Suomen lipulla (383/1978). (Decree on flying the Finnish flag), 2§ as changed with decree 187/1996. Retrieved 2-6-2008. (in Finnish)
2. ↑ Vakiintuneet liputuspäivät Archived January 26, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. (Customary flag days). Finnish ministry of interior affairs. Retrieved 2-6-2008. (in Finnish)
3. ↑ Ministry of the Interior - The days the flag is flown. Retrieved 27 May 2012.