Flag flying days in Finland


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. Any citizen has a right to fly the flag on their own property if they deem it appropriate, 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. It is recommended that private citizens to also fly the flag on these days.
DateEnglish nameFinnish nameSwedish nameRemarks
28 FebruaryKalevala Day,
Day of Finnish culture		Kalevalan päivä or suomalaisen kulttuurin päiväKalevaladagen or den finska kulturens dagOn this day in 1835, Elias Lönnrot signed the preface of the first edition of Kalevala.
1 MayLabour Dayvappuförsta maj
Second Sunday in MayMother's Dayäitienpäivämorsdagen
4 JuneFlag Day of the Finnish Defence Forcespuolustusvoimain lippujuhlan päiväförsvarets fanfestBirthday of Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, Marshal of Finland
Saturday between 20 and 26 JuneMidsummer DayjuhannusmidsommardagenThe 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 NovemberFather's Dayisänpäiväfarsdagen
6 DecemberIndependence DayitsenäisyyspäiväsjälvständighetsdagenFinnish Declaration of Independence was adopted on 6 December 1917.
MovableDays when Finland holds parliamentary, presidential and local elections, elections to the European Parliament, or a referendum-
MovableThe day the President of Finland is inauguratedpresidentin virkaanastumispäiväden dag då republikens president tillträder sitt ämbete1 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.
DateEnglish nameFinnish nameSwedish nameRemarks
5 FebruaryRuneberg DayRunebergin päiväRunebergsdagenBirthday of the national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg
19 MarchMinna Canth Day, Day of EqualityMinna Canthin päivä or tasa-arvon päiväMinna Canth-dagen or jämställdhetsdagenBirthday of novelist and playwright Minna Canth
9 AprilMikael Agricola Day, Day of the Finnish languagesuomen kielen päiväMikael Agricoladagen or finska språkets dagOn this day, Mikael Agricola, the founder of the literary Finnish language died, and Elias Lönnrot, a collector of folklore was born.
27 AprilNational Veterans' Daykansallinen veteraanipäivänationella veterandagenMilitary [history of Finland during World War II|World War II in Finland] ended on 27 April 1945.
9 MayEurope DayEurooppa-päiväEuropadagenIt is advised by the Finnish Ministry of the Interior that the European Union flag is flown alongside the Finnish flag on this day.
12 MayDay of Finnish IdentityJ.V. Snellmannin päivä or suomalaisuuden päiväSnellmansdagen or finskhetens dagBirthday of the statesman Johan Vilhelm Snellman
Third Sunday in MayRemembrance Daykaatuneitten muistopäiväde stupades dagA 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 JulyEino Leino Day,
Day of Summer and Poetry		Eino Leinon päivä or Runon ja suven päiväEino Leinodagen or diktens och sommarens dagBirthday of the poet Eino Leino
The last Saturday in AugustFinland's Nature DaySuomen luonnon päiväden finska naturens dag
1 OctoberMiina Sillanpää Day, Day of Civic ParticipationMinna Sillanpään päivä or kansalaisvaikuttamisen päiväMiina Sillanpää-dagen or
medborgarinflytandets dag		The date commemorates the declaration of universal suffrage in Finland on 1 October 1906.
10 OctoberAleksis Kivi Day,
Finnish Literature Day		Aleksis Kiven päivä or suomalaisen kirjallisuuden päiväAleksis Kividagen or
den finska litteraturens dag		Birthday of the national writer Aleksis Kivi
24 OctoberUnited Nations DayYhdistyneiden kansakuntien päiväFN-dagenUnited Nations began its operations on 24 October 1945.
6 NovemberFinnish Swedish Heritage Dayruotsalaisuuden päiväsvenska dagenCoincides with Gustavus Adolphus Day in Sweden.
20 NovemberDay of Children's Rightslapsen oikeuksien päiväbarnkonventionens dagDeclaration of the Rights of the Child was adopted by the UN on 20 November 1959.
8 DecemberJean Sibelius Day, Finnish Music DayJean Sibeliuksen päivä or
suomalaisen musiikin päivä		Jean Sibeliusdagen or den finländska musikens dagBirthday of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius.

Other recommended flag days in 2025

DateEnglish nameFinnish nameSwedish nameRemarks
3 FebruaryAlvar and Aino Aalto Day, Day of Finnish Architecture and DesignAlvar ja Aino Aallon sekä suomalaisen arkkitehtuurin ja muotoilun päiväAlvar och Aino Aaltos samt finsk arkitekturs och formgivnings dagBirthday of the architect Alvar Aalto
6 FebruarySámi National Daysaamelaisten kansallispäiväsamernas nationaldagThe first international Sámi congress began on 6 February 1917.
8 AprilInternational Romani DayRomanien kansallispäiväRomernas nationaldagIn honour of the first major international Romani meeting on 7–12 April 1971
9 AugustTove Jansson Day, Day of Finnish ArtTove Janssonin ja suomalaisen taiteen päiväTove Janssons samt finska konstens dagBirthday of the artist Tove Jansson