Hyvää itsenäisyyspäivää! Glad självständighetsdag!
Edited by Anna Popper
Finland’s journey to independence is a testament to resilience and determination. From 1154, the region was under Swedish rule, later transitioning to the Russian Empire in 1809 following annexation. The Russian Revolution of 1917 and the upheavals of World War I fuelled Finland’s drive for autonomy. On 6 December 1917, this aspiration was realized when the Finnish Parliament adopted the Declaration of Independence, officially establishing Finland as a sovereign state. This moment marked the culmination of a long struggle for self-determination and the birth of an independent nation.
Over the past 107 years, Finland has emerged as one of the world’s most successful and advanced nations, celebrated for its exceptional quality of life, pioneering innovations and steadfast commitment to equality. The nation excels in education, environmental stewardship, technological advancement and maintaining a strong social welfare system. Finland also stands as a global leader in gender equality, diplomacy and peacebuilding. In 2025 Finland marks 30 years of joining the European Union, alongside with Austria and Sweden.
For seven consecutive years, Finland has ranked as the happiest country in the world according to the World Happiness Report. This accolade reflects the Finnish people’s strong sense of community, commitment to helping others, and clear sense of purpose. The country also consistently leads global indexes in education, governance and environmental sustainability.
Each year, Finland celebrates its Independence Day on 6 December with heartfelt traditions. Streets and buildings shine with festive lights, and households place two blue-and-white candles in their windows – symbols of unity, freedom and independence.
To mark the significant occasion, H.E. Mr. Pertti Anttinen, Ambassador of the Republic of Finland and Mrs. Katriina Apajalahti hosted a reception at the Ambassador’s Residence in Budapest, welcoming Hungarian officials, members of the diplomatic corps, representatives from cultural, academic and business communities, delegates from twin cities, and Finnish nationals.
The evening commenced with stirring renditions of the Finnish national anthem, Maamme (Our Land), the Hungarian national anthem, and the European Union anthem, beautifully performed by the Espressivo String Quartet, setting a tone of reverence and celebration for the event.
In his address, dedicated to the National Day of Finland, Ambassador Anttinen said:
“Dear friends and colleagues, Hölgyeim és Uraim, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Warmest welcome to all of you! I am glad to see so of many who have decided to spend the Friday evening here at the Finnish Residence to celebrate the 107th Independence Day of Finland.
May I begin to say a few words in our beloved Finno-Ugric / Finn-Ugor languages:
“Harmadik alkalommal állok Önök előtt feleségemmel, Katriinával együtt a függetlenség napi fogadásunkon, de most először veszem a bátorságot, hogy magyarul is mondjak néhány szót. Mi finnek gyakran vagyunk szomorúak, hogy a függetlenségi napunk decemberben van. Sokkal szebb lenne tavasszal vagy nyáron, amikor süt a nap, és kint lehetnénk a teraszon! Ilyenkor viszont – lassan már karácsonyra készülve – lehetőségünk van visszatekinteni az év eseményeire: sok minden történt, Önök mind nagyon sokat tettek a két ország kapcsolatainak erősítéséért. Köszönöm, hogy együtt ünnepelhetjük Finnország függetlenségének 107. évfordulóját!”
(Tämä on kolmas kerta, kun vaimoni Katriina ja minä seisomme täällä yhdessä itsenäisyyspäivän vastaanotollamme, mutta tämä on ensimmäinen kerta, kun rohkenen sanoa muutaman sanan unkariksi. Me suomalaiset olemme usein surullisia siitä, että itsenäisyyspäivämme on joulukuussa. Olisi paljon mukavampaa keväällä tai kesällä, kun aurinko paistaa, ja voisimme olla ulkona terassilla! Mutta tähän aikaan vuodesta meillä on tilaisuus katsoa taaksepäin vuoteen – samalla kun valmistaudumme jouluun viettoon. Paljon on tapahtunut, ja te kaikki olette tehneet paljon maidemme välisten suhteiden vahvistamiseksi. Kiitos teille, että juhlimme yhdessä Suomen itsenäisyyden 107- vuosipäivää!)
(This is the third time that my wife Katriina and I are standing here together at our Independence Day reception, but this is the first time I dare to say a few words in Hungarian. We Finns are often a bit sad that our Independence Day falls in December. It would be much nicer in the spring or summer when the sun is shining, and we could be outside on the terrace! But at this time of the year, we have the opportunity to reflect on the past year – while also preparing for the Christmas celebrations. A lot has happened, and all of you have contributed greatly to strengthening the relations between our countries. Thank you for celebrating the 107th anniversary of Finland’s independence with us!)
“And switching now to English…
Dear Friends,
My original intention was to organize something less formal this time, something like playing guitar and singing by the fireplace, but my staff noted that there is no fireplace in this building and I am not sure about the guitar either. Nor the singing. Instead, we had a chance to enjoy the beautiful music performed by young talented artists from Espressivo String Quartett: Gréta Kocsis, Anna Benyhe, Rebeka Tarnai and Zsófi Nagy, let us give a big hand to them.
Tonight, we celebrate with our closest friends and allies in the European Union and NATO, representatives of the numerous Hungarian – Finnish friendship societies, my fellow countrymen and women and with all those who have a particular interest in Hungarian-Finnish relations.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
as I said already last year, we are navigating through turbulent times. The situation in the Middle East remains volatile. Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine has been ongoing more than 1000 days with devastating consequences for Ukraine and destabilizing impact on Europe and the entire world. I want to take this opportunity to reconfirm Finland’s unhairing support to Ukraine amounting to more than 3 billion euros so far. And as I mentioned last year, our support will continue as long as it is needed and our firm position is that any decisions concerning Ukraine must be made with Ukraine.
As you may know, Finland takes over the Presidency of the Organization for the Security and Cooperation (OSCE) on 1 January 2025.
We surely hoped that during our Presidency we could have celebrated together the 50th Anniversary of the Conference of the European Security and Cooperation held in Helsinki in 1975 and its Charter and Final Act that laid foundation for Europe’s security architecture during the cold war. Unfortunately, Russia’s illegal aggression does not make this possible. There will be a long path ahead to restore a lasting peace in Europe. Therefore, maintaining the unity and strong cooperation within, and also between, the EU and NATO is even more pivotal and cannot be over-emphasized.
And now to something more positive:
May I first congratulate our Hungarian Colleagues in different ministries for their hard work for the success of the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Only three weeks to go and you can pass the torch on to Poland.
Before and during the Hungarian Presidency we had a number of delegations from Finland visiting Hungary and our Prime Minister Petteri Orpo attending EPC (European Political Community) and Informal Council meetings in Budapest.
I wish to congratulate and thank all those – including my own hard-working staff – who have contributed to the deepening of the Finnish-Hungarian relations ranging from government representatives, civil society organizations, friendship societies, parishes, municipalities, universities and Finnish and Hungarian private enterprises. I also wish to recognize the work of the Finnish Institute in Hungary, FinnAgora and the Finnish Chamber of Commerce in this regard.
On behalf of the whole Embassy staff, I wish to thank you again warmly for coming to celebrate with us.
May I now propose a toast to the 107th year of Independence of Finland and to the warm and long-standing friendship between Finland and Hungary:
Hyvää Itsenäisyyspäivää! Glad Självständighetsdag! Happy Independence Day!
After the official program concluded, a reception offering fine Finnish specialties took place. Guests revelled in a warm and convivial atmosphere, engaging in lively conversations, building connections and embracing the festive spirit of Christmas time, which is in close relation with Joulupukki, the Finnish Santa Claus – a beloved and enduring figure of the holiday season – has been visiting Budapest during the festive period for many years.
Source: Embassy of Finland in Budapest
Photos by the Embassy of Finland, Ari Santeri Kupsus, and DPA
