December 6th, Finland's day of Independence
I have been asking around quite a bit how this day is celebrated. My Finnish friends, who have their families within a reasonable distance, are going home to spend time with them. I have been recommended an annual TV broadcast that goes live both on the Finnish and Swedish speaking channel. What you will see is about two hours of the Finnish president shaking hands with important people that he has invited to the president palace. I imagine that I will be similar to the Nobel prize festivities with reporters whom will comment on the people and hat they are wearing. However this year they are renovating the president palace in Helsinki so the celebration will take place in a city called Tampere instead.
So what can one do in Helsinki except whatching TV? (As far as I know everything is closed today. One guy even left earlier yesterday to go grocery shopping in order to have something to eat today.) From the University I have recieved information about a student procession with torchlights that will take place down town. I am at school now but that is something that I probably will check out later.
Students will wear the Finnish graduation cap and walk behind their respective student organization flag. The route will follow the funeral cortege of a Marshal Mannerheim who died in 1951. The procession finish at Senate Square with speeches, choir music, and ends with Finnish national anthem sung together.
This is the guy, Marshal Emil Carl Gustaf Mannerheim:
According to Wikipedia he was a military leader during the Finnish civil war, commander of defence during World War II and the 6th president of Finland between 1944-1946. I also know by experience that one of the main streets in Helsinki is named after him.
