Flag flying days in Finland

File:Flag of Finland.svg

National Flag of Finland

File:Flag of Finland (state).svg

State Flag of Finland

File:Flag of Finland 20181206.jpg

Flag of Finland waving from a pole

Flag flying days in Finland are days of the year when the national flag is flown nationwide, either by law or by custom. The flag of Finland is generally flown only on special occasions to celebrate or honour someone or something. On certain days of the year the state officially flies the flag, and recommends all private citizens to do so as well, these are the flag flying days as listed below.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Any citizen has a right to fly the flag on their own property if they deem it appropriate,<ref name="auto1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="auto">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> for example in celebration of birthdays or weddings in the family. Midsummer's day is additionally celebrated as Flag Day in Finland.

Legal enforcement

By law, the Finnish flag must be flown from public buildings on the following days.<ref>Asetus liputuksesta Suomen lipulla (383/1978) . (Decree on flying the Finnish flag), 2§ as changed with decree 187/1996. Retrieved 2 June 2008. Template:In lang</ref> It is recommended that private citizens to also fly the flag on these days.

Date	English name<ref name="auto"/>	Finnish name<ref name="auto1"/>	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Remarks
28 February	Kalevala Day, Day of Finnish culture	lang}} or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	lang}} or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	On this day in 1835, Elias Lönnrot signed the preface of the first edition of Kalevala.
1 May	Labour Day	lang}}	lang}}
Second Sunday in May	Mother's Day	lang}}	lang}}
4 June	Flag Day of the Finnish Defence Forces	lang}}	lang}}	Birthday of Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, Marshal of Finland
Saturday between 20 and 26 June	Midsummer Day	lang}}	lang}}	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.
Second Sunday in November	Father's Day	lang}}	lang}}
6 December	Independence Day	lang}}	lang}}	Finnish Declaration of Independence was adopted on 6 December 1917.
Movable	Days when Finland holds parliamentary, presidential and local elections, elections to the European Parliament, or a referendum
Movable	The day the President of Finland is inaugurated	lang}}	lang}}	1 February or 1 March in every six years

Customary flag days

It has become customary to fly the Finnish flag on the following occasions. These 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.<ref>Vakiintuneet liputuspäivät Template:Webarchive (Customary flag days). Finnish ministry of interior affairs. Retrieved 2 June 2008. Template:In lang</ref>

Date	English name	Finnish name	Swedish name	Remarks
5 February	Runeberg Day	lang}}	lang}}	Birthday of the national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg
19 March	Minna Canth Day, Day of Equality	lang}} or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	lang}} or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	Birthday of novelist and playwright Minna Canth
9 April	Mikael Agricola Day, Day of the Finnish language	lang}}	lang}} or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	On this day, Mikael Agricola, the founder of the literary Finnish language died, and Elias Lönnrot, a collector of folklore was born.
27 April	National Veterans' Day	lang}}	lang}}	World War II in Finland ended on 27 April 1945.
9 May	Europe Day	lang}}	lang}}	It is advised by the Finnish Ministry of the Interior that the European Union flag is flown alongside the Finnish flag on this day.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
12 May	Day of Finnish Identity	lang}} or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	lang}} or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	Birthday of the statesman Johan Vilhelm Snellman
Third Sunday in May	Remembrance Day	lang}}	lang}}	A memorial day for 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	Eino Leino Day, Day of Summer and Poetry	lang}} or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	lang}} or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	Birthday of the poet Eino Leino
The last Saturday in August	Finland's Nature Day	lang}}	lang}}
1 October	Miina Sillanpää Day, Day of Civic Participation	lang}} or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	lang}} or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	The date commemorates the declaration of universal suffrage in Finland on 1 October 1906.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
10 October	Aleksis Kivi Day, Finnish Literature Day	lang}} or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	lang}} or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	Birthday of the national writer Aleksis Kivi
24 October	United Nations Day	lang}}	lang}}	United Nations began its operations on 24 October 1945.
6 November	Finnish Swedish Heritage Day	lang}}	lang}}	Coincides with Gustavus Adolphus Day in Sweden.<ref name="uvf">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
20 November	Day of Children's Rights	lang}}	lang}}	Declaration of the Rights of the Child was adopted by the UN on 20 November 1959.
8 December	Jean Sibelius Day, Finnish Music Day	lang}} or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	lang}} or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	Birthday of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius.

Other recommended flag days in 2025

citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	English name	Finnish name	Swedish name	Remarks
3 February	Alvar and Aino Aalto Day, Day of Finnish Architecture and Design	lang}}	lang}}	Birthday of the architect Alvar Aalto
6 February	Sámi National Day	lang}}	lang}}	The first international Sámi congress began on 6 February 1917.
8 April	International Romani Day	lang}}	lang}}	In honour of the first major international Romani meeting on 7–12 April 1971
9 August	Tove Jansson Day, Day of Finnish Art	lang}}	lang}}	Birthday of the artist Tove Jansson

See also

• Public holidays in Finland
• National anthem of Finland
• Finnish national symbols
• Household pennant of Finland
• Flag Day (a list of Flag Day holidays in various countries)
• Flag flying days in Norway
• Flag flying days in Sweden