Commemoration Day of Fallen Soldiers

Commemoration Day of Fallen Soldiers (kaatuneiden muistopäivä) is the commemoration day on 3rd Sunday of May for the fallen soldiers of the Winter War and Finnish Civil War 1918. After 1940 is was also the day of commemoration of the fallen soldiers of the Continuation War and the Lapland War. There were also members of Lotta Svärd, who also were victims of war serving in uniforms on the front.

The idea of the day was raised in the bishops' meeting in April, 1940. They made a proposal of the day for 19th May. Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim as the war time supreme commander ordered 1st May, 1940, not to celebrate 16th May, 1940 as the victory of the Senate of Finland in the Finnish Civil War, but have Commemoration Day of Fallen Soldiers for the fallen soldier of the both sides of the war and also the Winter War.

The day is a religious one, which includes remembering fallen soldiers in the local grave yards after church services.