PM hosts Independence Day party for 555 children

This year’s Independence Day festivities will culminate with a celebration for children, when Prime Minister Sanna Marin hosts the Children’s Independence Day party on December 7 at the House of the Estates, said a government press release on Wednesday.

Hundreds of ten-year-olds from all over Finland – two from each municipality – have been invited to the event.

A total of 555 children from 280 municipalities will attend. The guests from Utsjoki, the northernmost municipality in Finland, will make the longest journey to take part in the celebration.

The theme of this year’s event is The Makers of the Future.

When the guests arrive, the Prime Minister will shake hands with each one and welcome them personally to the event.

After the official portion, the guests will be treated to a social programme around the theme of the celebration.

The Prime Minister’s Office plans and organises the party in cooperation with the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare and the Office of the Ombudsman for Children.

The Children’s Independence Day party was held for the first time in 2017, in honour of Finland’s centenary.

Since then, it has become an established part of the Independence Day festivities. In previous years, the Children’s Independence Day party has been hosted by Prime Ministers Juha Sipilä (2017 and 2018) and Antti Rinne (2019).

The party could not be organised in 2020 or 2021 due to COVID-19.