Today is the Commemoration Day of Fallen Soldiers (Kaatuneiden muistopäivä) in Finland. In 1940 Marshal of Finland Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim gave an order that the 3rd Sunday of May shall be celebrated in memoriam of those, who gave their lives defending Finland in Winter War (Talvisota) and in the Civil War (Sisällissota). Nowadays we honor all the people, who have given their lives defending Finland. The day is honored by visiting the war graves and also flagging with national flag. Until 1995 the flag was flown half-staff between 10 am and 2 pm. Between 8 am and 10 am and 2 pm to 9 pm the flag was flown in full-staff. Nowadays it is flown in full-staff all day (8 am to 9 pm).
The flag of Finland is white with blue cross. It is a rectangle. Its height is 11 units and length 18 units. No markings are allowed to be made on the flag and it always has to be clean and intact. Old, broken flag has to be destroyed by burning or cutting it in so little pieces, that it cannot be recognized as a flag anymore.
Finland did not have own flag until after the declaration of independency. Before as a national flag was first the Swedish national flag and then the flag of Russian Empire. But Finland has had its own national coat of arms since the 16th century. The coat of arms is the yellow/golden lion on red background. The lion has a crown, stands on a saber and holds on its right, armoured hand a sword. There are also 9 silver roses on the coat of arms. This coat of arms was many times used instead of a national flag. The idea of a national flag rose in 1848 when our national song, Our land (Maamme), was first presented in public on 13th of May in Helsinki. There were many suggestions for the national flag, including red flag with yellow cross. No national flag was yet decided. The national flag became topic again after the declaration of independency. In May 1918 the look of the national flag was decided and ever since the national flag of Finland has been white with sea blue cross. The white can be seen resembling the white summer nights or the white snow during winter and the blue reflecting the blue summer sky or the thousands of lakes.
Every Finn has the right to flag, it is not an obligation. There are 6 official flagging days annually plus the days when there are official election held and the day of the inauguration of the president. Additionally there are 13 established flagging days in Finland. These have been marked on the calendar, but they are not official.
The official dates are
28.2. The day of Kalevala (Kalevalan päivä) also called the day of Finnish culture
1.5. May Day (Vappu), the day of Finnish work
The second Sunday of May, Mothers’ Day
4.6. The Flag Celebration Day of the Defense Force, the Birthday of C. G. E. Mannerheim
The Saturday between the 20. and 26. of June, the Midsummer Day (Juhannuspäivä) and the Day of Finnish Flag
6.12. The Independence Day of Finland
A Finn can flag every time he or she has something, that require flagging, f.ex. birthday, wedding, christening. The flagging starts at 8 am and ends when the sun sets, by the latest at 9 pm. The flag is not allowed to be left on the pole for the night except on Midsummer. Then the flag is hoisted at 6 pm on Friday and taken down the following day at 9 pm. That’s the night of midnight sun. On Independence Day the flag can be hold on the pole until 8 pm, if it is lit after 4 pm.
When a person dies there is a half-staff flagging. The flag is then flown in half-staff on the day of death or on the next day, if the death has occurred late in the evening. On the funeral day the flag is then pulled to half-staff and raised to full-staff after the funeral service has been held.
The flag has to be always treated with dignity. It may be washed and ironed, but it is not allowed to let dry outside on the clothesline. The flag has to be hoisted and lowered peacefully and it is not allowed to touch the ground. The pole has to be seen from the main road and, if on the back yard, seen also over the house. In apartment buildings the pole has to rise to the third floor’s height. The height of the flag is about one sixth of the pole’s height. So the flag needs to fit to the pole.
When half-staff flagging is held the flag is first hoisted to full-staff and then slowly lowered to half-staff, meaning to the height of about one third of the pole. Then the lowest corner of the flag is about in the mid of the pole. The state can order a national half-staff flagging day due to an incident that affects the whole nation. In the 21st century this has been done at least in 2004 after a bus disaster in Konginkangas (23 people were killed and 14 injured) and the Tsunami on Indian Ocean (178 Finns lost their lives), in 2007 after a school shooting at Jokela, Tuusula (9 people were killed) and in 2008 after a school shooting at Kauhajoki (11 people were killed).
