In this publication, All-Holidays.Info covers the following topic: holidays in Finland 2023. We will tell you what Finnish holidays are, what flag day is and how they differ. Here is a list of holidays and flag days in chronological order. At the end of the publication you will find the corresponding calendar.
There are four types of significant dates in Finland:
State holidays.
Unofficial holidays.
Flag days.
Recommended (unofficial) flag days.
Public holidays in Finland are public holidays. There are 13 such dates in a year. Mass events are rarely held these days – the Finns prefer a quiet holiday. Below we list all public holidays in Finland 2023 by month in chronological order.
Unofficial holidays are traditional days of rest with their own traditions. These days there is no official non-working day. But Finns often indicate in a collective or individual agreement that they want to have time off on this day.
The days of the flag are fixed by law 383/1978 . On these dates, all state institutions fly the flag of Finland. Citizens of the country are encouraged to do the same. But this is not a mandatory requirement.
Recommended flag days (unofficial flag days) are not regulated by law. But they are encouraged to celebrate. The University of Helsinki keeps a record of such days and publishes them annually in the public calendar. In 2023 Finland has 15 unofficial flag days.
Public holidays
Below are all public holidays in Finland 2023. We arranged them in chronological order and divided by months.
January
January 1, 2023 – New Year.
January 6, 2023 – Epiphany.
April
April 7, 2023 – Good Friday.
April 9, 2023 – Easter.
April 10, 2023 – Second day of Easter (Easter Monday).
May
May 1, 2023 – Labor Day.
May 18, 2023 – Ascension.
May 28, 2023 – Pentecost.
June
June 24, 2023 – Summer Solstice (Midsummer, Midsummer Day).
Summer Solstice, Midsummer or Midsummer Day is a holiday in Finland that has been celebrated for centuries. This ancient holiday symbolizes the arrival of summer after months of cold and dark winter weather. Finns traditionally celebrate the holiday by kindling bonfires, singing and dancing around May trees, and feasting on traditional summer dishes. Many go to cottages on the lake or spend time in nature.
November
November 4, 2023 – All Saints’ Day.
December
December 6, 2023 – Independence Day.
December 25, 2023 – Christmas.
December 26, 2023 – Boxing Day / Second Day of Christmas.
What holiday is Independence Day?
Finnish Independence Day is Finland’s annual national holiday celebrated on December 6th. The day marks the country’s declaration of independence from Imperial Russia in 1917, following a long period of Russian rule and political instability. This event was of great importance for the Finns, as it symbolized their determination to free themselves from foreign domination and create a sovereign state based on democratic principles and Finnish identity.
Unofficial holidays
Finland celebrates many significant dates. But there are only two unofficial holidays that are very popular:
June 23, 2023 – Midsummer Eve.
December 24, 2023 – Christmas Eve.
Flag days (official)
Finland will have seven flag days in 2023:
February 28, 2023 – Finnish Culture Day (Kalevala Day).
May 1, 2023 – Labor Day.
May 14, 2023 – Mother’s Day.
June 4, 2023 – Day of Celebration of the Flag of the Defense Forces (Gustav Mannerheim Day).
June 24, 2023 – Finnish Flag Day.
November 10, 2023 – Father’s Day.
December 6, 2023 – Independence Day.
Who is Gustav Mannerheim?
Gustav Mannerheim is an outstanding Finnish military leader and statesman, commander-in-chief of the armed forces of Finland during the Second World War. Prior to that, he had a distinguished career in the Imperial Russian Army, serving as Chief of Staff of the 14th Army during the First World War. Later he led the Finnish armed forces against Soviet aggression in the Winter War of 1939-1940.
Gustav Mannerheim played an important role in shaping Finland’s foreign policy during the interwar period. He oversaw Finland’s successful entry into the United Nations in 1955.
Unofficial flag days
The following flag days are recommended for 2023 in Finland:
February 5, 2023 is J.L. Runeberg Day.
March 19, 2023 – Equality Day (Minna Canti Day).
April 9, 2023 – Finnish Language Day (Mikael Agricola and Elias Lennrot Day).
April 27th. 2023 – National Veterans Day.
May 9, 2023 – Europe Day.
May 12, 2023 – Day of Finnishness (Day of J.V. Snellman).
May 21, 2023 – Memorial Day.
July 6, 2023 – Poetry and summer day (Eino Leino day).
August 26, 2023 – Finnish Nature Day.
October 1, 2023 – Citizen’s Influence Day (Miina Sillanpää Day).
October 10, 2023 – Finnish Literature Day (Alexis Kivi Day).
October 24, 2023 – United Nations Day.
November 6, 2023 – Sweden Day (Kustaa Adolf Day).
November 20, 2023 – Children’s Rights Day.
December 8, 2023 – Finnish Music Day (Jan Sibelius Day).
Holidays in Finland 2023 (calendar)
Holidays in Finland 2023. Designations: red – public holidays, orange – unofficial holidays, yellow – official flag days.
In this publication, All-Holidays.Info told you about the holidays in Finland 2023. We have listed them and the days of the flag in chronological order. Some were given explanations. We hope you have found the information you need. Don’t forget to share this post with your friends!
