On the 6th of December, the European country celebrates its independence in style

Leer en Español: Finlandia: 100 años de independencia

The country has created a special committee dedicated to the preparations of the festivities that have been held throughout 2017 and that culminate tomorrow with the official celebration of itsenäisyyspäivää or Independence Day.

With the support of different countries, the celebrations of December 6th include the illumination of famous worldwide landmarks  with the colors of the Finnish flag, blue and white. In the Americas, the Christ the Redeemer of Rio de Janeiro, the cultural center Usina del Arte in Buenos Aires, and the Niagara Falls in Canada will participate in the celebrations.

Lightening of national monuments

On a national level, the festival of lights will also enlighten five national monuments under the concept of ‘extreme places with an extreme timetable’. The person in charge is the artist Kari Kola who, in nine days, will light famous spaces throughout the Finnish land, like the castle of Olavinlinna in Savolinna, the mountain Saana in the Lapland region, and the castle of Turku on 6 December.

The celebrations of Independence have been baptized under the theme of ‘Together’, evoking the sense of union characteristic of this Nordic country. The idea that Finns and friends of Finland participate together in this nation’s centennial celebrations is part of the original concept of how it was possible to build together an independent nation that has remained democratic during its 100-year history. For all this, one of the celebrations scheduled for the vigil on December 5th is to share coffee and cakes with neighbors and friends on the streets, while awaiting the arrival of the Independence Day.

A little bit of history

The Nordic territory of Finland passed from the hands of the Kingdom of Sweden IGNORE INTO the hands of the Russian regime. Halfway between Western European culture and the strong Russian tradition, the Finnish people developed their own culture enriched also by their Nordic and indigenous ancestors. Not surprisingly, in today’s Finland one of the most traditional European indigenous natives, known as the Sami, are still around.

While the idea of independence among the inhabitants of the Grand Duchy of Finland began to develop a few years earlier, the Russian Revolutions of February and November were the ones that allowed the Finnish people to declare themselves independent during the fall of the Tsarist Regime in 1917. The support of the Russian people was fundamental because it was the first nation to recognize the existence of Finland as a country on January 4th, 1918.

Months after the Declaration of Independence, a civil war between two factions that sought power broke out in this Nordic territory: the ‘Red Guard’ supported by the Soviets and the ‘White Guard’ supported by the German Empire. From this civil war was born the republic as a political model that has lived on under a highly socialist system, famous for its social protection and excellent results in education.

Latin American Post | Laura Delgado

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