I watch the ”linnanjuhlat” independence day ball every year for hours! We always judge the dresses with my family :) it’s something we’ve done for as long as I can remember We watch the Unknown soldier every year as well

This day November 30th, 1939, the USSR launched a massive attack against Finland, the Winter War had started. Soviet planners assumed an easy victory. Stalin planned to capture Helsinki within two weeks. Interview by Pekka Tiilikainen, a radio broadcaster : "The Russians tried to attack, but were bloodily beaten back. Some of the enemy were able to advance in the gloom right up to the machine-gun emplacement, but a merciless hail of bullets beat the Ivans back. The first attack was repulsed... and the cradle of Karelia drank up the blood of the enemy. The snowdrifts were painted red." Please let us celebrate our painful history the way we need it to be celebrated. We fought for it.

Watching the handshake queue is good entertainment for Finns.

In 2004 I was in exchange in France. Only one Finn there besides me. We lit the candles, popped a champagne bottle and listened to the Finlandia hymn. That was the only day there that I felt a bit homesick. ❤

Even now as I live in Norway, I will watch the movie and the president's event. Light a candle for our veterans that died for our independence. Call all my family and maybe even have dinner with them through videocall. After 6th of December I will start my Christmas time and put up decorations etc. I might live in Norway but I will always be a Finn

The Unknown Soldier, the 1955 film directed by Edvin Laine, is the one that is shown on TV every Independence Day in Finland. In addition to this, two other film adaptations based on the 1954 novel by Väinö Linna have also been made: the 1985 version directed by Rauni Mollberg, and the 2017 version directed by Aku Louhimies (a film that Irish talked about in the video).

In my family a typical Indepence Day includes baking gingerbread cookies, listening to "Finlandia" and Finnish national anthem, cooking some traditional finnish food and dessert. We also open a bottle of something sparkling, watch the president's ball and put two candels at the window. It's extremely meaningful and emotional day for us finns and being able to spend that day makes us feel grateful.

As a Finn, "linnanjuhlat" is a must see. Every single year. You just have to see it. Hard to explain why.

The independence day is traditionally a day you start baking for christamas. So you have joulutorttu and piparkakku and other little snacks while watching linnanjuhlat. 😊

People invited to this ball are not only famous people or veterans; they invite various dignitaries, entrepreneurs, artists and other people who have had great impact in society. The focus is usually on eho gets invited and who has the best outfit. Our way of 'celebrating' Independence Day may not be flashy, but it is powerful in its solemnity. I'd say spending the day in peace a very good way to celebrate something won with battle.

You guys, both are honorary Finns in my books already. Love you, Mert.

You should definitely watch The Unknown Soldier, it'll be one of the best war movies you'll ever watched. Two of the main characters (Rokka and Koskela) are based on the author's war buddies. Basically everything is based on real events, but arranged the way the author wanted.

Yeah we celebrate it very quietly . Its like time to stop what ever you do in real life and be greatful on little things.Its like a taking deep breaht then slowly hale it out. Like relaxing yoga 😊. Going to sauna, taking maybe a beer. Guy in video said it great. Its time to remember veterans who gave us free country. ❤. Hello from finland. Peace and love to all 😊

We do everything said on the vid in my family. There's a lot of emotion on this day and we watch all the Finnish war movies, documentaries, interviews with veterans, the ball, the military parade etc. We go and leave candles on graves of veterans and family. We also play old Finnish songs and quietly hum or sing along to them. Also listening to Finnish anthems and hymns. We have a huge feast made up of traditional fin foods and we give thanks for our country's and our peoples safety and wish for peace in the future as well. We also have a quiet moment at some point during the night for the price that had to be paid time and time again for what we now have. Thank you for the reaction!😄 You should definitely watch the Tuntematon sotilas movies!😀 I used to cry a lot on independence day when I was younger but I remember this day with honor and warmth in my heart.💙🤍

If there are any programs to watch on Independence Day, they are the Unknown Soldier and the Independence day ball from President's Castle. They have a strong tradition in Finland and the number of viewers can well exceed a million.

There's like three parts in celebrating the Finland's independence day. First there is that Remembrance Day type of a part during which the WW2 is remembered; the film 'Unknown Soldier' is shown on TV, there's a military parade, military is present in various events, candles are lit and crowns are lied on soldier's graves, students honor the veterans and soldier's graves with a torch procession, veterans are honored in various ways and so on: "When Finland’s 100th Independence Day Started at the Archives". Then there's the other part of the official celebrations; an independence day ball for children, the president's ball Etc: "Valtakunnallinen Suomen lasten itsenäisyysjuhla". And then comes the informal partying with the fireworks and so on: "Itsenäisyyspäivän ilotulitus HELSINKI 6.12.2017. Suomi Finland 100 Independence Day Fireworks".

My mother and father usually visit their parents graves respectively and put a candle on their graves. My father was born during the continuation war in 1942 and lived in Helsinki during the big bombings of Helsinki in 1944. My parents are getting quite old, though, so depending on the winter weather it can sometimes be a bit difficult for them to walk in the cemeteries. Personally, I sometimes watch the ball and the military parade, depending on my mood. It's more a time of remembering what our grandparents and war veterans had to sacrifice to keep our independence, and that our neighbour to the east hasn't changed a bit. Yes, those joulutorttu pastries are quite good (the black stuff in the middle is prune jam), but I usually just eat some during Christmas.

The Finns not partying on Independence Day (in addition to what he said in the video) is probably because it is celebrated specifically on the Indepence Day and not the day before. This means the next day is a normal day and people go to work (unless it's a weekend) so we can't get drunk. :D New year's eve, mayday's eve, midsummer's eve etc are celebrated the day before the holiday so you can be a little hungover next day and have no problem with that :D

Here in Sweden we have a huge respect for Finland and it’s history.

The candles are the to giude the Jaegers to a safe house.

Käärijä has been invited to the ball!

Have been watching ball since 1980. Earlier war veterans were not in so big role albeit majority of male quests were war veterans between 1960-1990. After Soviet Union collapse war veterans got bigger role..

Every year I watch this."Linnanjuhlat" are most popular tv show every year. Its boring but still I watch.

This is literally my traditional celebration :D Morning/midday: going to graveyard (watching/partaking the depositing the wreath on soldier's grave), afternoon: watching the military parade, watching Tuntematon sotilas (1955, 1985 or 2017 version), evening: lighting two candles in the window, baking first joulutorttu and enjoying with coffee, watching the president's ball (to see who were invited, that is who was important, this year and the beautiful gowns and fashion, laughing when Finns make # linnanjuhlat ('palace celebrations') trend worldwide), and having a sauna. My meals of the day are a bit more fancier versions of salmon or steak. And it's work the next day, so not too much champagne or sauna beer! :D

I have heard that some people take candles to the cemetery on Independence Day if they lost their great-grandparents in the war, but my own family has not had this custom because none of my great-grandparents fell in the war and at least half of them moved to Finland as refugees from Karelia during the war because their homes were left under the war (and the other half avoided the war by e.g. working in America, owning a farm and etc.). Unfortunately we don't have any kind of tradition on Independence Day in our family and that day feels a bit like a boring extra day when nothing happens and the TV shows the same movie as every year and the president's handshakes. In schools and some workplaces, it is a mandatory day off. Sometimes I hope that Finland's independence day could therefore be more active and that there would be some events and celebrations.

"The best War Movie ever made". Quote by US Marines and former SAS members.A deep film review In ytube by "Combat Army"-channel. The Ball, candles in window and cemetary, Sauna, good food and company. And the Movie. Have you seen "Sisu" movie yet. Typical Finnish man, no "small talk"😅😂❤

I make the season's first gingerbread cookies and watch the ball on tv, with the candles in the window. The Unknown soldier is on tv every year, sometimes I watch it, sometimes I don't. As for the cemetery, the parish puts the candles on certain graves where fallen soldiers are buried, and then family members can put some on their relatives graves. The most candles you'll find in Finnish cemeteries is on christmas eve and the day of all saints (in october), but independence day candles aren't as popular IMO.

Now that is december I wouold recomend some chirstmas song in metallic way. You could start here 'Raskasta Joulua - Tulkoon joulu'. You can find more songs just by writing 'Raskasta Joulua'. This is concert in finland where they sing christmass song in hevy metal way. So I will send you Have Marry Heavy Christmas.

I dunno if this is elsewhere too, but another day you see candles lit on graveyard is on christmas, many go lit a candle on relatives grave.

Loving your videos. 😊

You can watch ball of castle from Yle Areena

Yeah it’s a custom to watch the ball on Independence day

I watch the first Tuntematon Sotilas. It's the most "honest to it's roots" being so close in time to the events.

In our family we usually go put the candles on graveyard on Christmas Eve, that's another day when the graveyards are full of them. I live far from my parents and go meet them on Christmas but not on Independence day.

This year's parade will be in Oulu, my home city, and I think the Irishman is living here, so he might be going to see it on wednesday. I'm pretty sure that I will. On independence day the candless on the veteran's graves are usually provided by the city or the parish and also there is usually a ceremory where city officials, military representatives and regular people will bring flowers to the veterans' memorial. Relatives and other people who want to pay respects can then add more candless to individual graves or the memorial that at least all the bigger cemeteries have. I think that there are even more candless in Finnish cemeteries on Christmas. We have a tradition that we light candless on every grave where there is someone we want to remember on Christmas Eve.

Every Finn watches those three events every f****g year! 🧐👍🤘

I like how Finnish president (just like Irish Uachtarán I hear) is mostly a ceremonial office along the lines of a monarch in a parlimentary monarchy. Meant mostly for a senior politicians who know how to behave when entertaining foreign guests and be the "face" of the country.

I like you reviewing a serious youtube channel.

I like your announcements, but, Give a little more volume for your mic.

Lord Jesus Bless and keep Finland

drinking whiski, watching Tuntematon Sotilas, beeing silencen

On independence day, we usually cut down a christmas tree for us and we bake gingerbread cookies

The Hamina parade was really sending russia an a message as it is only 50km from Hamina to the border.

Almost all of Europe was devastated after WWII, but Finland experienced four wars in a short time, so there is no room for fireworks in the finnish mind. The annual military parade is, of course, weird. Is there any other democracy at all that has it?

We have other Day to those WHO were in war and same Day to those who Lost their Life in war

The movies are definitely worth watching. It's better starting with the new version. I don't know if there are subtitles in the old one. The "linnanjuhlat" party is, frankly, quite a boring and long occasion. Personally, I never look at them.

Thank you for your reaction. 🙂 I wonder if the somber tone of the celebration is partly because Finlands independence is fairly new if you compare it to for example to the USA. 🙂

i wonder when all videos will be "reacting to x reacting to z reacting to y reacting to a reacting to b reacting to d" etc .....

Olways lisig finlandia maammelaulu.... And 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢

I have heard about Finland's desire to become independent from Russia as a result of the Crimean War after the middle of the 19th century, Russia was no match for the British fleet in the East Sea. Russia's defeat in the First World War against Germany made independence possible. Germany set very tough conditions for surrender, which the communists had to accept if they wanted to get out of the war.

You should definetly watch the first version of unknown soldier many Finnish think its The best version

Poor people also watch ' linnanjuhlat ' even though we hate it. I do not watch it, because I do not have television.

Indipendebsday is only seriousltday what finss respect! Ewery any holiday is yous drinkin. Ewery families are weterans Who fight are freedom..

So yuo Irish?

I don´t celebrate independence day because there´s nothing to do. Watching the Linnan Juhlat for hours fuck no. Also i have nobody´s grave to go to put a candle orf maybe i should go to my dad´s grave and put a candler but i never knew him. To me there is no independence day in Finland

Kitos

Today they gonna giwe this my fatherland to america military just sing up papers. Lets go brian... but.. Trump save ass.!!!.. no war..!!

What independence ?

Why it´s so odd? Never understood this irish opinion.