Finland to hold Together weekend on 25-27 Aug

A host of events will be held at home and abroad at the end of this month marking the country’s 100 years of independence on the theme ‘Together’.

During the Together weekend on 25 to 27 August, a host of events in the Finland 100 programme are lined up throughout Finland and around the world – a programme that Finns and friends of Finland have created for one another, said a government press release.

At the same time, the jubilee year autumn and a 100-day period full of festive events will be kicked off, leading up to the centenary in December.

“During Together weekend, there are small, nationwide and international events. Finns and friends of Finland will fly a flag for nature, hike, eat together, sing, play music, compete in different championships and dance in market squares and even in trains,” said Finland 100 Head of Communications Päivi Pirttilä.

The largest events taking place in Finland on August 26 Saturday are Nature Days, when choirs sign in every National Park across Finland and Finnish flags will be flown to celebrate Finnish nature. Finland will become the first country in the world to honour nature with an official flag day.

During the weekend, food brings people together in Finland and abroad as anyone anywhere can organise their own Finnish Your Dinner party, offering even strangers the opportunity to celebrate Finland’s centenary of independence.

Dinners are organised from Helsinki to Buenos Aires. Also, from Thursday 24 to Saturday 26 of August, Stockholm’s Kungsträdgården transforms into a STHLM/SUOMI urban festival.

“Already now we can say that the centenary of independence has become Finland’s big year – thanks to hundreds of thousands of people who have been taking part in building the Finland 100 programme all over the world. On Together weekend the theme of the centenary year will only grow stronger, as well as the habit of doing things together,” said State Secretary Paula Lehtomäki, chair of the Finland 100 Centenary Board.