Finnish Calendar of Holidays
Attempting to provide more than just the facts about a destination, these website's aim is to provide valuable insight into a culture and its people.”
Welcome to the Finnish Calendar of holidays page.
If you are reading this you may find interesting as well to visit the Socialguide for foreigners in Finland of Mrs Mona M. Ollson.
If you have ever wondered why the Finnish flag 
is raised on a particular day, well then that is because there is a special event on the calendar that requires it. It may be the President election, the celebration of a finnish poet, Kalevala's day, Finnish culture's day, Finnish Language Day, National Veteran's Day, Midsummer, Indipendence day or many others.
New Year’s Day, January 1st - Uuden vuoden päivä
Everything is closed. Public transports begin to traffic again in the afternoon as an ordinary Sunday.
Epiphany 13th Day of Xmas - Loppiainen
This is the day when the Christmas traditionally ends and you should get rid of all the Christmas decorations and the Xmas tree.
Valentine’s Day, Feb 14th - Ystävän päivä
In Finland it's the ”Friend’s Day”, not as romantic as Valentine’s, here you send postcards to your friends. Not so often they buy presents to boyfriends, girlfriends, wives or husbands.
Lent - Quaresima - Laskiais sunnuntai
On the last sunday of February, traditionally the day you go out for winter sports or just for a walk on an iced lake, staying with your family and friends.
April Fools Day, April 1st - Aprilli-päivä
Traditionally the day to fool everybody. The newspapers and the news tend to have "false" news as a joke to fool people.
Palmsunday Palmusunnuntai - Sunday before easter
Recently Finland has got a new tradition from east, "virpominen". It seems to be a tradition from Carelia (Karjala) and Russia.
Children go from door to door dressed like Easter witches “Trulli” and they wave with decorated tree-branches wishing a good and healthy year saying a typical rhyme and giving the branches away, receiving sweets and candy in return, a bit like Halloween’s “trick-or-treat” except without the trick-part.
Good Friday
Everything is closed. According to old Finnish Lutheran tradition you were not allowed to smile with your teeth showing this day.
Easter Day and 2nd Easter day.
Holiday, everything is closed.
Walpurgis night - Vapun aatto
This is the day when the arrival of spring is traditionally celebrated. And oddly enough people begin to dress a bit more "summery" and that not accordingly to the current weather.
Lots of people get themselves a balloon for Vappu.
May Day, May 1st - Vappu
Also called Labour Day. Labour Day marches are arranged by various political parties. Everything is closed.
Mother’s Day - Äitienpäivä
It's the 2nd Sunday in May. Remembering mother, getting her flowers, baking a cake or cooking a meal.
Ascension Day - Helatorstai
Everything is closed.
Pentecost - Helluntaipäivä
Everything is closed.
Midsummer’s Eve around 21-26th June - Juhannusaatto
Shops open half-day. Keep in mind that normally the public transports are shut down during the festivities. So all busses cease to traffic at about 3 pm in the afternoon not to begin to run until about midday on Midsummer’s Day.
Midsummer’s Day - Juhannuspäivä
Like a Sunday, everything is closed. Public transports begin to traffic again in the afternoon just like any other Sunday.
The month of July
This is the month when almost the entire country shuts down due to the summer vacations which most people traditionally keep during the month of July.
Hallowen
The anglo-saxon tradition of halloween is growing more and more popular with many special halloween parties arranged.
All Saints' Day - Pyhäin päivä
You visit graves of your relatives, leave a traditional fir-garland a and light a candle on the grave in their remembrance. It's usually on a saturday, so it's not the 1st of november as in Italy.
Swedish Day 6th Nov - Ruotsalaisuuden päivä
The day when the swedish-speaking part of the country celebrate their Finnish-swedish inheritance and culture.
Father’s Day - Isän päivä
Second sunday in november every year the fathers are celebrated in the same way as celebrating mother on her day.
1st Sunday of Advent - 1 adventti-sunnuntai
Around here begin the festivities, all the companies keep their Christmas parties, "Pikkujoulut", that means little Xmas.
This is also the time when people begin to prepare for the Christmas celebrations by cleaning the house and baking.
Independence Day 6th December - Itsenäisyyspäivä
The celebration usually begins on December 5th, to have a one day siesta to rest before you go to work again.
On December 6th is the biggest and most celebrated reception in the Presidential-Palace where the most prominent citizens and also some ordinary people get invited to.
The women compete in hairstyles and dresses to be the most photographed person of the ball.
Christmas Eve Dec 24th - Jouluaatto
This is the day when Christmas is celebrated here in Finland, as in most of Scandinavia.
People are home to celebrate Christmas with their families. They decorate the Christmas-tree, give Xmas presents to each other.
If you have small children then Santa Claus comes and visits you. Here in Finland he normally comes through the door to deliver the presents in person. Special Christmas food is prepared like ham and pickled herring, gingerbread and Glögg.
It is time to eat well and enjoy. People also tradiotionally visit their family-graves to lit candles on Christmas Eve.
The public transports cease to run during the festivities. So all busses cease to traffic at about 3 pm in the afternoon not to begin to run until about midday on Christmas Day.
Xmas Day Dec 25th - Joulupäivä
Traditionally the Finns go to Christmas mass early in the morning. Like a Sunday, everything is closed.
Boxing Day Dec 26th - Tapanin päivä
Most of the Christmas Days you spend among your family but this is a day you can begin to visit again. Everything is closed.
New Years Eve - Uudenvuoden aatto
Celebration of the old year to end and the new to begin.
