Finland (FI)

Public holiday. New Year's Eve (Uudenvuodenaatto) is celebrated with fireworks — Helsinki's Senate Square hosts public celebrations. Many Finns celebrate privately at home or at friends' gatherings.

The Twelfth Day of Christmas — a public holiday in Finland. Marks the end of the Christmas season. Schools and most businesses closed.

Public holiday. A sombre day in the Finnish Lutheran calendar. Most businesses, government offices, and shops closed. Some shops may open with limited hours.

Easter Sunday — public holiday. Finnish Easter traditions include children dressing as witches (Virvon, varvon tradition) going door-to-door with willow branches, and eating mämmi (traditional Easter pudding).

Easter Monday — public holiday. The extended Easter weekend is a popular time for cottage trips and skiing in Lapland.

One of Finland's most exuberantly celebrated public holidays. Vappu is a student and workers' spring festival celebrated with outdoor picnics, sima (mead), munkki (doughnuts), and tippaleipä (funnel cake). University students wear their white student caps (ylioppilaslakki). The evening before (Walpurgis Night, 30 April) sees massive public celebrations in city parks — Kaivopuisto park in Helsinki is the epicentre.

Ascension Thursday — 39 days after Easter. Public holiday. Creates a popular long weekend with the following Friday often taken as leave.

Whit Sunday — 49 days after Easter. Public holiday. The beginning of summer is marked by increasingly long days.

Midsummer Eve — the Friday between 19–25 June. One of Finland's biggest celebrations. Finns migrate en masse to their summer cottages, light midsummer bonfires (juhannuskokko) by lakes, swim at midnight, and celebrate the midnight sun. Helsinki essentially empties for the Midsummer weekend — plan accordingly. Most shops and offices closed.

Midsummer Day — the Saturday nearest the summer solstice. Public holiday. The most important summer celebration in Finland. Virtually everything is closed.