If you expect fireworks and a parade, Independence Day will surprise you. Finland celebrates its birthday quietly: candles, a church service, a military parade in one city, and the whole country on the sofa watching people shake hands with the President. It is moving once you understand it.
What happened
Finland declared independence on 6 December 1917. A civil war followed in 1918, then two wars against the Soviet Union between 1939 and 1944 in which the country kept its independence at great cost. That history is why the day is solemn: it belongs to the veterans, and to a small country that was not supposed to survive.
What Finns do
- Two candles in the window at 18:00. Look down any street at six and every window has them.
- The flag flies from morning; if your building has a flagpole, someone will raise it.
- Watch the Presidential reception (Linnan juhlat) live on Yle from about seven: two thousand guests, the war veterans first, then the handshakes, then the dresses. Finns watch it to comment on the dresses. Join in.
- The student torch procession in Helsinki from Hietaniemi cemetery to Senate Square at dusk, and the military parade in a different city each year.
- A quiet dinner, often blue and white on the table.
What is closed
Everything except restaurants, cafés and the on-duty pharmacy. Public transport runs a Sunday timetable.
How to take part as a newcomer
Put two candles in your window at six. Watch the reception with a Finnish colleague and let them explain who is who. If you are invited to a Finnish home, dress a little better than usual. And know one sentence: Hyvää itsenäisyyspäivää.
Independence Day Finnish
| Finnish | Meaning |
|---|---|
| itsenäisyyspäivä | Independence Day |
| Hyvää itsenäisyyspäivää! | Happy Independence Day! |
| itsenäisyys | independence |
| Linnan juhlat | the Presidential reception, literally "the castle party" |
| veteraani | veteran |
| kynttilä | candle |
| lippu | flag |
| Suomi 100 | the centenary in 2017, still on merchandise |