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Finland's Centenary of Independence Is Being Celebrated in an Epic Way
Throughout the World By Paivi Pirttila Al-Jazeerah, CCUN, November 27, 2017 Editor's Note: This article is part of an effort to know about and celebrate various nations of the world, particularly those who promote peace and prosperity of humanity and enjoy it. |
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The centenary of
Finland’s independence culminates on Finland’s Independence Day, 6
December 2017. The story of the 100-year-old Finland is extraordinary
and rests on the values cherished by the Finns: democracy, education,
equality and freedom of speech. The climax of the centenary will be a
joint effort, and the programme will be rich and memorable. The
celebrations will take place throughout Finland as well as in more than
100 countries on all the continents.
Finland
became an independent state on 6 December 1917. The newly born state was
willed into being by Finns after a long struggle. For a hundred years
the Finns have been engaged in the building of their country and making
decisions together. The unbroken period of 100 years of democracy is
exceptional, and Finland has often reached top positions in different
international rankings*.
“The story of
the 100-year-old Finland is unique and deserves a special celebration.
The centenary of independence is the most significant anniversary of our
generation. This epic year has been built in a unique and open way,
together with the whole of society, Finns and friends of Finland, in
more than 100 countries,” says Pekka Timonen, General
Secretary of the Centenary of Finland’s Independence, Prime Minister’s
Office.
Finland 100
has become a phenomenon: the centenary has been celebrated throughout
the year. Four out of five Finns think it is important to participate in
the centennial year and more than 600,000 people, 14% of all
15-84-year-old Finns, are involved in creating the centenary year
programme**. It has become the richest and most versatile programme of
all time and provides a great overview of the nation today. As many as
5000 different projects have been included in the programme, with an
especially strong presence of culture, nature, history, and doing good
for both each other and the future of Finland.
The historical moment will be celebrated with dignity and joy
Finland’s
Independence Day, 6 December, will be preceded by both traditional and
new festivities over several days. Most of the official celebrations
will take place in the capital city, Helsinki, but there will be many
other unique moments all over Finland. The Finnish flag will fly for two
consecutive days, and the whole country will be illuminated with blue
and white lights, the colours of Finland. Special monuments and
locations, e.g. an entire fell, Saana in Lapland, will be lit up.
Many joyful
festivities will bring people together. As the Finns are the biggest
coffee drinkers in the world, the whole country will gather to enjoy
birthday coffee to honour the 100-year-old Finland. Avid karaoke fans
will be singing iconic Finnish songs at the same time in karaoke
restaurants all over the country. The nation’s favourite sport, ice
hockey, will be celebrated at an outdoor stadium in the heart of
Helsinki, specially built for the occasion.
Abroad, all
the Finnish embassies will host an Independence Day reception and
Finnish communities around the world will have their own celebrations.
In many countries, special concerts with famous Finnish artists such as
Karita Mattila and Esa-Pekka Salonen will be organised.
“Celebrations
will take place on all the continents. It’s touching to see how many
friends our country has all over the world. We are very pleased with all
the special greetings, gifts and visits from heads of states that
Finland has already received during the centenary year. We invite
everyone to join the celebration with us,” says Timonen.
Further information
Congratulations Finland:
http://suomifinland100.fi/congratulations-to-the-100-year-old-finland/?lang=en
Finland 100 centenary year website:
suomifinland100.fi
Further information and material for the
media:
http://suomifinland100.fi/media/?lang=en
Finland 100 video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4DxP0irRy8
Inquiries:
suomi100media (at) sek.fi, tel. +358 (0)50 327 5160 weekdays 9:00 am –
4:00 pm (UCT+2)
Päivi Pirttilä, Head of Communications,
paivi.pirttila (at) vnk.fi
tel. +358
(0)295 160 133 or +358 (0)40 705 3323
Information
on the Finland 100 celebrations at the Finnish embassies:
Communications Officer Tiina Tähtinen, Public Diplomacy, Ministry for
Foreign Affairs of Finland
tiina.tahtinen (at) formin.fi, tel. + 358
295 351765
The centenary
year can be found on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Snapchat
under the name SuomiFinland100 (#suomi100, #finland100, #congratsfinland).
*http://www.stat.fi/ajk/satavuotiassuomi/suomimaailmankarjessa_en.html
** Finland
100 Consumer Survey, Statistics Finland, September 2017
****
Finland 100
Years. The year 2017 will mark Finland’s 100th anniversary as an
independent state. It is the most important anniversary year of this
generation and will be celebrated throughout 2017 all over Finland. The
theme selected for the centenary year is ‘Together’. Responsibility for
the preparations and coordination of the centenary year rests with
Finland 100 set up by the Prime Minister’s Office, assisted by the
Project Secretariat and the regional network in the counties.
suomifinland100.fi, #suomi100, #finland100
The following files are available for download:
***
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