National Veterans' Day

National veterans' day (kansallinen veteraanipäivä) is a remembrance day for all the war veterans in Finland. It is celebrated on 27 April. On 27 April 1945, the very last German troops had left Finland and crossed the border to Norway (then occupied by Nazi-Germany) in the municipality of Enontekiö and the Finnish defence forces achieved the three-country border of Norway, neutral Sweden and Finland. According to Moscow Armistice Finland was obliged to demand the German troops to leave Finland by 15 September 1944, which was technically impossible. The Germans executed the operation Tanne Ost to occupy Suursaari from the Finns and defend the Estonian cost from the Soviet Baltic Navy on the Eastern isles of the Baltic Sea. The Finns, on their behalf, at the request of the Allied Moscow Armistice controlling committee, attacked the Germans in Tornio, which was the end of the phoney war and the beginning of the real war of Lapland. The war of Lapland and the second world war ended in Finland on 27 April 1945, when the last German troops had retreated to Norway (which was at the time still under German occupation-) across the border in the municipality of Enontekiö.

Even if the day reminds a victory day, it is not celebrated as such. Among the events there are services in the Evangelical Lutheran churches, honorary guards on the war hero tombs, deposing wreath and the collecting money for the charity of the last war veterans' needs.

History
On the initiative of the war veteran organisations the state council (cabinet) declared 27 April 1986 the national veterans' day. The first national veterans' day was celebrated the first time in Lahti, 27 April 1987. There is one main event and several smaller main events in the various regions and many local events.


 * 25th national veterans' day, Turku,motto: Viesti kulkee - vetovastuu vaihtuu, motto:Budskapet förs vidare - vi yngre tar över. (The message is carried - we the younger take over)
 * 24th national veterans' day, Tampere, 11 000 attendants, 4 300 in the main happening
 * 1st national vetetans' day, Lahti