May 12 in Finland marks «Day of Finnish Self-awareness» (Finnish). Suomalaisuuden päivä) or «Snellmann Day».
This is the day of the official raising of the Finnish national flag.
Johan Wilhelm Snellman (May 12, 1806 – July 4, 1881) — statesman, philosopher and journalist of Finland.
He has many merits. Snellman improved the school system in the country, achieved the adoption of a resolution on the rights of the Finnish language, and proposed the first project of a Finnish railway. Thanks to his efforts, Finland introduced its own currency, the — Finnish markka, in 1865.
Portrait of J.V. Snellman was printed on a 100-mark bill, which was in circulation until the mid-80s of the last century.
In 2006, in honor of Snellman's 200th birthday, postage stamps with his portrait were issued in Finland. In addition, the Finnish Mint minted a collection of anniversary silver coins in denominations of 10 euros. Their design is based on the work of artist Tapio Kettunen «Dawn of the Motherland».