Finland celebrates Independence Day

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The 94th anniversary of Finnish independence was celebrated on Tuesday. Celebration of the national holiday was kicked off with the raising of the flag at Observatory Hill in Helsinki.
      The national military parade was held in Tampere this year, with tens of thousands of people watching.
     
About 1,000 people took part in an Independence Day lunch for the poor on Hakaniemi Square in Helsinki. The event was organised by Christian humanitarian Heikki Hursti, who is continuing the work of his father.
      In addition to the soup, bread, and coffee, participants were given a bag of food to take home. Sauli Niinistö, the presidential candidate of the National Coalition Party, held a speech at the event. Two other presidential candidates, Paavo Arhinmäki of the Left Alliance, and Sari Essayah of the Christian Democrats, were also present.
     
In the early evening the traditional university students’ torchlight procession moved from Helsinki’s Hietaniemi Cemetery to Helsinki’s Senate square.
      Celebrations culminated in the traditional televised Independence Day reception at the presidential palace for about two thousand invited guests.
      The event is watched by millions of viewers nationwide.
     
The show follows a prescribed pattern, with a lengthy handshaking session (in fact two of them) giving way to dancing, interspersed with interviews in which local celebs and political figures are asked questions like "what does independence mean to you?"
      For most people, the highlight is being able to see that the guests have left their dress-sense at the door, but there is an element of social cohesion involved as well: Finland is a small country, in which everyone knows everyone else, and the chances are that one will see personal friends and acquaintances at the reception, particularly since recent presidents have sought to broaden the guest-list beyond senior politicians, civil servants, the church, the army, and the diplomatic corps.
     
Not a trace of wistfulness was to be seen on the face of President Tarja Halonen on Tuesday evening, even though she was hosting the Independence Day reception at the Presidential Palace for the twelfth and last time. Halonen’s second and final term as President concludes in February.
      “We are in a mood to celebrate. I do feel a bit nervous, as this is the last time. I hope that this might go as well as it has done before”, Halonen said to Helsingin Sanomat before the event began.
     
All eight of the candidates in the ongoing presidential race to host next year's event were among the guests of the evening.
      President Halonen had chosen equality and cooperation as themes of the evening, and the list of guests emphasised representatives of organisations dedicated to causes that advance those values.
     
Running parallel to the President’s reception was a gay dance party at Mann’s Bar on Mannerheimintie in Helsinki.
      The idea for a separate gay dance event emerged when True Finns MP Pentti Oinonen announced in November that he would not be attending this year’s ball because the prospect of same sex couples dancing at the event is an affront to him personally.
      Attending the event was 67-year-old Olli-Matti Huovio, who emigrated to Germany in the late 1960s and came back 25 years later.
      He said that during his absence Finland had become visibly more tolerant.
     


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Prospect of dancing gays keeps MP away from Independence Day reception (17.11.2011)

See also:
  Independence Day culminates in traditional Gala Reception, despite strikes and the weather (7.12.2010)

Helsingin Sanomat