1,700 people invited to Independence Day reception party

Some 1,700 people from all over the Finland have been invited to the Independence Day reception party hosted by President Alexander Stubb and First Lady Suzanne Innes-Stubb on December 6 at the Presidential Palace, said the President Office in a press release on Friday.

The theme of this year´s reception is 'Together'.

Invitations have been extended in particular to people who have fostered a spirit of community and brought people from different backgrounds together.

Many of the guests have contributed to the sense of community among people in Finland, particularly through culture, literature and sports.

The guest list also includes professionals of particular merit in the field of youth work or social services, such as those engaged in combating domestic violence or supporting mental health.

Veterans of wars and lottas, members of the women’s voluntary civil defence organisation Lotta Svärd, are invited to a separate reception at the Presidential Palace on December 2.

The programme of the reception will include musical performances.

The Independence Day reception will follow tradition in many respects, but there will also be some new features.

The interior of the Presidential Palace will be festively lit and there will be more musical performances than before. The music in the Hall of State will be provided by the Guards Band, the Guards Combo and singer Juha Tapio. In the Yellow Room on the second floor, the Iiro Rantala Trio will perform with vocalists Helena Juntunen and Lotta Kuusisto. In the third-floor Salon, the guests will be entertained by the band Younghearted.

This year, the inspiration for the cocktail buffet comes from Lapland. The tastes of the North will include reindeer, willow grouse and flamed salmon.

One of the sweet delicacies is 'kampanisu', a traditional pastry with a comb-like shape. The focus is on organic products and ingredients that are locally sourced from small-scale producers.

In line with the theme Together, the Presidential Palace will also host a photography exhibition curated by the Finnish Museum of Photography of works from the museum's collections.

Located in the Gothic Hall, the exhibition explores the theme from several different perspectives. The subjects of the photographs and the artists chosen reflect the diversity of Finland.

The mailing of invitations for the Independence Day reception is under way and guests will be receiving their invitations in the coming weeks.