Finland celebrates Independence Day in traditional fashion
Finland celebrated its 88th Independence Day on Tuesday in traditional fashion, though with a few new touches thrown in, and the ceremonies culminated in the annual Gala Reception at the President's Palace in Helsinki, hosted by President Tarja Halonen.
A military parade by members of the Finnish Defence Forces was held this year in Lahti, and at the Hakaniemi market square in the capital around 1,000 of the less-fortunate members of Finnish society were treated to a hot meal by Heikki Hursti, continuing the tradition maintained by his late father Veikko Hursti, who died earlier this year (see attached article).
Independence Day got under way at 9 a.m. with the hoisting of the Finnish flag on the Tähtitorninmäki hilltop in central Helsinki.
An ecumenical service was held at midday in the Lutheran Cathedral in Helsinki, attended by the President and members of the government.
The Finnish Defence Forces' national parade was this year held in Lahti, and for the first time veterans from Finland's wars did not take part actively in the march-past. The elderly vets sat in a position of honour as their colours were carried by army reservists in winter uniforms.
Several thousand people followed the parade, which involved more than 1,000 soldiers and around 100 military vehicles and tanks. All branches of the armed forces were represented.
In Helsinki, there were demonstrations by a number of smallish NGOs against Finnish membership of the EU and posible membership of NATO. Numbers were small, and there were no reports of trouble outside the Presidential Palace, as has been seen in some past years.
A torchlit parade of students marched through the streets of the capital to the Senate Square where they were addressed by the Mayor of Helsinki Jussi Pajunen, who was acting in this capacity for the first time after his appointment in June.
Candles were lit in windows up and down the country as a mark of respect for independence and for those who died in preserving it.
For the vast majority of the nation, the main event each year on December 6th is to sit around the TV and comment on the goings-on in the Presidential Palace as the good and great of the country attend the annual Gala Reception, many of them wearing medals freshly awarded for services rendered to the nation. Making arch remarks about who should or should not have been invited, and about fashion disasters, seems to be the #1 Finnish spectator sport - viewing figures are always very high.
President Tarja Halonen and her husband Pentti Arajärvi had a two-hour session of handshaking as they welcomed the roughly 1,800 guests, including Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen and former Finance Minister Sauli Niinistö, who are both among the candidates seeking to deny Halonen a second term in office.
Whilst many of the names on the guest-list are little changed from year to year - the government, Members of Parliament and MEPs, senior figures in the judiciary, the military, and the churches, and the representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Helsinki are all guaranteed an invitation - there were a good number of first-timers, including this year a specific nod to war-evacuee children and to Finns who have taken part in international crisis management and disaster rescue operations.
One such in this latter category was Finnish diver Jani Mäkinen, who arrived from Thailand. Members of Mäkinen's Raya Divers took part to good effect in the rescue and survivor reporting after the tsunami struck the beaches of Thailand last December. The disaster was a major source of grief in Finland over the past year, as more than 170 Finnish holidaymakers were among the dead and missing.
Others on the coveted list this year included members of Finland's women's football team, which made the semi-finals of the European Championships earlier this year, and long-jumper Tommi Evilä, the only Finnish medallist at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics, held in often appalling conditions in Helsinki in August. Pictures (in order): Tuoreet:
More on this subject:
 Poor queue up for food at the first Independence Day celebration
organised by Heikki Hursti
Previously in HS International Edition:
Independence Day brings Finns together, if only around their TV sets (7.12.2004)
Helsingin Sanomat
|
| 7.12.2005 - TODAY |
Finland celebrates Independence Day in traditional fashion
|
|
