Rovaniemi hosts Nat´l Flag Day parade today

Rovaniemi hosts the Finnish Defense Forces Flag Day Parade on Tuesday.

Lapland Air Command, Karelia Air Command, Air Force Academy, Jaeger Brigade, Kainuu Brigade, Army Academy, Utti Jaeger Regiment, Coastal Brigade of Navy, National Defence University and Border Guard, veterans and national defense organizations will take part in the parade.

The day’s program will begin at 9:00am with the wreath-laying ceremony at Winter War and Continuation War Memorial, Rovaniemi Cemetery for Fallen Soldiers followed by the ceremonial raising of the flag, Lordi Audio Square at 10:00am, static display, Vanha Tori Square, from 10:00am to 5:00pm, review of troops at Keskuskenttä Central Sports Stadium at 12 noon, pass-in review at Jätkänkynttilä Bridge at 1:15pm and Hornet display at Lainaanranta shore at 2:00pm

“During the day, the audience will have an opportunity to take a look at a wide variety of the Defense Forces equipment at Vanha Tori Square. In the static display, the audience can see the equipment of the Army, Air Force and Border Guard and they can stop by the ‘Soldiers’ Home’ canteen sales point. The static display will open at 10:00am and run till 5:00pm,” Minna Pyykönen, public affairs officer of the Lapland Air Command, told Daily Finland.

The pass-in review will begin from Toripuistikko and move across the Jätkänkynttilä bridge from the city center towards Ounasvaara. The best places to see the parade will be the Jätkänkynttilä bridge and the Toripuistikko area.

During the pass-in review, Air Force and Army aircraft will perform flypasts separately in different occasions.

The parade reviewing officer will be Commander of the Finnish Air Force Major General Pasi Jokinen.

The parade troops will be commanded by Brigadier General Jari Mikkonen, Chief of Staff Air Force Command Finland and the field devotional will be held by FINAF's Senior Chaplain Kari Mannermaa.

After the pass-in review, at 2:00pm, the spectators will have the opportunity to enjoy the solo Hornet display. The best place to view the display will be the Lainaanranta shore but it can be well seen also from Jätkänkynttilä Bridge, Pyykönen said, adding that all flypasts are, however, subject to weather conditions.

The organizers urged people to avoid using privately owned cars in the city center during the Flag Day’s events as some streets and parking areas will be reserved for the parade.

Jätkänkynttilä Bridge will be closed to all traffic in the morning and will be opened only after the pass-in review.

The parade can be followed also on online channels and social media of the Finnish Defense Forces.

The Lapland Air Command is making all-out preparations to successfully hold the parade.

“The preparations began more than a year ago by benchmarking the previous Flag Day Parade in Seinäjoki. Since the parade is such a big event with troops and materiel totaling around 1,000 people and 49 vehicles, FINAF and Army aircraft, the parade requires careful planning and cooperation from other authorities,” Pyykönen added.

The Finnish Defense Forces Flag Day is celebrated on June 4 every year. The day is an official flag-raising day.

Through 1919–1939, a similar day was celebrated on May 16 which was called Flag Day of the Army.

In 1942, the birthday of Marshal of Finland Mannerheim on June 4 started to be celebrated nationally.

In 1950, the name of the celebration was changed to Flag Day of the Finnish Defense Forces.

The first Defense Forces Flag Day Parade was organized in Helsinki in 1952.