Holidays in Finland - Snellman Day (Finnish Identity Day, Suomalaisuuden paiva)

For Finland, May 12 is not just another calendar day, but an important memorable date, because it is a holiday - Snellman Day. There are alternative names for this holiday - Finnish Culture or Identity Day. This holiday would not have happened without the successes that their ancestor Johan Wilhelm Snellman was able to achieve. The Swedish colonialists, who had been developing Finnish lands since the 11th century, considered the indigenous population dark, unenlightened and poorly educated. Being a Swede was so prestigious that only the Swedish-speaking population could apply for government positions. This went on for hundreds of years, until public figure and journalist J.V. took up the matter. Snellman. Thanks to his efforts, the Finns were able to restore their historical rights, as well as make education accessible to everyone, not just a select few. In memory of this man, the Finnish writer Johannes Linnankoski in 1906 called on his compatriots who had Swedish surnames to change them to Finnish ones. It was in 1906, when a hundred years had passed since the birth of their great ancestor. His proposal was supported by almost 25,000 people, who published their new names in the Finnish Official Gazette. On the same day, the Union of Finnish Identity was established, which still exists today. J.V. Snellman was born on May 12, 1806. He lived a long life, established himself as a journalist, writer, philosopher, and also as a public and successful statesman. Also during his life he did a lot for his people: The Finns remain grateful to their distant ancestor and in honor of the 200th anniversary of his birth they issued commemorative stamps and commemorative coins. A mandatory attribute on this day is the national flag of Finland. You can meet it everywhere, literally on every building. Despite this honor, this day remains a working day. Particular attention is paid to the celebration in schools and universities. Literary competitions, lectures on the history of the Finnish language, and creative evenings are considered traditional.