Celebrating Finland 100

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On December 6, 2017, Finland celebrated its 100th birthday. 100 years ago, Finland gained independence from Russia and officially became its own nation. For the 100th anniversary, Finland went crazy! All year long there were events and celebrations. But it was the week of December 6th that was incredible. It was a once and a lifetime opportunity to witness and I am so glad that I got to be in Finland and experience it with all my Finnish friends. Here are just a few of the celebrations.

In May 2017, in honor of the upcoming birthday, the presidential palace opened its doors to the public and on that day, people got to walk inside the palace and see what it is really like. Compared to other European palaces, it seemed quite modest, but yet all the Finns remarked at how decadent it was. Either way, I felt lucky to be one of the few that got in that day to see the presidential palace. 

On December 5th, the Olympic Flame was lit once again. It burned for two hours and symbolized the summer games in 1956. Just outside the Olympic stadium, the flame has not been lit since the actual Olympics. However, in celebration of Finland 100, the flame was lit again. Although it was a small gathering, it was a great way to see an Olympic Flame up close and in person. 

Just outside the harbor, 100 flags were raised on December 5th. They stayed all day on the 6th and were taken down on the 7th. These flags each represented the 100 years of Finnish independence. It was a beautiful ceremony with the Finnish national anthem and the next day the flags were constantly waving in the wind, making for a beautiful image. 

On every Independence Day there is a student procession. They begin at the cemetery where they light torches and then walk to the main square in front of the Helsinki Cathedral. Normally they dress in all black, but this year, for Finnish independence, they were allowed to wear their white graduation caps. The procession ends with songs and chants typical for university students. 

Normally, there are not any major fireworks for Independence Day, however, for Finland 100, there were fireworks over the harbor. They could be seen from the top steps on the Helsinki Cathedral and they were a great way to end the celebration.