Kalevala Day

Kalevala Day (Finnish: Kalevalan päivä), also known as Finnish Culture Day (Finnish: suomalaisen kulttuurin päivä), is celebrated on 28 February in honor of Finnish culture and the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala. The tale has profoundly shaped the Finnish national identity, influencing the country's literature, music, and visual arts. The date is based on the day in 1835 when Elias Lönnrot signed the preface to the first edition of the Kalevala. It is one of the official flag flying days in Finland.

Anniversaries of Kalevala Day are observed based on both the first edition of 1835, known as Old Kalevala, and the New Kalevala, published in 1849, which expanded the epic significantly.

The first known celebration of Kalevala Day took place in 1865, organized by university students in Helsinki. Over time, the event grew in significance, with major public celebrations held on the 50th and 75th anniversaries of the Old Kalevala. The Kalevala Society, founded in 1919, has played a central role in organizing and promoting these celebrations, overseeing cultural programs and academic gatherings. Large-scale celebrations also took place on the 100th and 150th anniversaries of both versions of the Kalevala.

In 1978, an additional title, "Finnish Culture Day", was officially adopted, reflecting a shift in focus from exclusively celebrating the Kalevala to recognizing Finnish culture more broadly.