Celebrating the Centennial of Finland’s Declaration of Independence
1917-2017
On December 6, 1917 Finland declared itself an independent republic, rejecting its status as an autonomous Grand Duchy of Russia, which it had been since 1809.
The year 2017 represents a fantastic opportunity to not only celebrate Finland’s independence, but to recognize and build appreciation of Finnish America’s past, present and future.
The Finnish Prime Minister’s Office established a “Finland 100 Years” organization to oversee the official functions for the 2017 celebration. It has chosen “Together” as its theme.
The office has created a website, copyrighted artwork (see the Suomi Finland 100 logo above) and materials with strict terms of use.
Find information, news, articles and more at the official website, Suomi Finland 100, where you may also sign up for their newsletter.
Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister’s Office maintain a website with multiple tools for understanding different aspects of the country’s history, culture and contemporary matters, as well as logos, images, videos and other materials and tools. Click here to access the Finland Toolbox.
Finnish Ambassador to the United States, Her Excellency Kirsti Kauppi, and her staff at the Embassy in Washington, D.C., have been working with representatives of local Finnish-American organizations (including Finlandia Foundation represented by FFN President Ossi Rahkonen) to plan a series of events across the U.S., notably a traveling sauna that will visit at least a dozen locations throughout 2017.
In addition, FFN is encouraging chapters to host activities and is offering each chapter a grant of up to $1,000 to support those celebrations. Click here for grant information.
FFN is also planning major events for 2017. Details are still being worked out, but will involve prominent speakers from Finland and musical performances.
Check back to learn more about Finland 100 activities and find information about Finland’s centennial.
You are also invited to click here to sign up for the monthly FFN E-Newsletter, which will carry centennial information as it develops.
For more information about Finland and its history, check out the website This is Finland.