Finland adds Children’s Day as Flag Day

Universal Children’s Day on 20 November will be designated as Flag Day in Finland for the first time this year, said a government press release.

At 8:00 in the morning on Universal Children’s Day, the Finnish flag will be raised at the Puistokoulu School in Jyväskylä by schoolchildren’s representatives and the ombudsman for children and representatives from the National Child Strategy and the City of Jyväskylä.

The event will be arranged in line with the health safety guidelines.

As part of the broadcast of the event, President Sauli Niinistö, Speaker of Parliament Anu Vehviläinen and Prime Minister Sanna Marin will present their video greetings to children and young people.

The morning’s video broadcast will also feature an exciting and energetic performance by hip hop artist Elastinen, recorded specifically for the event.

The live event starting at 8:00 AM on the government YouTube channel, where it will also be available as a recording from 9:00 AM onwards.

As part of the celebration, the Ministry of Education and Culture will announce the winners of the Children’s Day Prize.

The prize aims to recognise the work of organisations in promoting culture for children.

A recording of the award ceremony, which will take place at the Snellman School in Helsinki, will be available on the government YouTube channel on 20 November at 8.30 AM.

The events of the day are intended especially for schools as part of their Universal Children’s Day celebrations.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted in New York on 20 November 1989.

The day has become established as Universal Children’s Day, which is celebrated in a variety of ways around the world. In Finland, Universal Children’s Day has been on the calendar since 2002.