Everything about Finland for foreigners

Thursday 6.12.2012 is Independence Day in Finland. Independence Day is national holiday in Finland and almost all shops will be closed. Only few grocery stores in Helsinki center (for example K-Market Kamppi and S-Market Rautatientori) are open on Indepencence Day. Also some restaurants will be closed but many of them are open.

Tomorrow evening 15.5.2011 will be a very special evening in Finland when our national ice hockey team is playing in the ice hockey world championship final agains Sweden. Every sports pub will be crowded tomorrow and if Finland wins the game there will be a huge party evening at least in the biggest cities.

1st of May (Vappu) is a very special day in Finland. Vappu is originally a workers day and it was especially important carneval for the labour unions and students but today Vappu is a national holiday that everybody celebrates somehow. This year 1st of May is Sunday and I expect that the Saturday evening will be a carneval day in every city in Finland and especially in Helsinki. On Sunday celebration will be more sophisticated and the most important place is the Kaivopuisto in southern Helsinki. If the weather is not horrible there will be many people having their picnic and enjoying the beautiful spring weather.