Runeberg Day (Finnish. Runebergin päivä) — is a national holiday in Finland. It is celebrated throughout the country on February 5, the birthday of the famous Finnish poet Johan Ludwig Runeberg (1804—1877).
This day became a holiday back in the early 1900s. This is not a day off, but a solemn day (liputuspäivä) on which national flags are hung. Moreover, they are hung not only on administrative buildings. Every Finn has the right to buy a Finnish flag, install a pole in front of his house and raise the flag on liputuspäivä: Independence Day, Runeberg Day, Kalevala or Mother's Day. The flag can also be hoisted on your own birthday or wedding.
In the calendar of the University of Helsinki, Runeberg Day was first celebrated in 1950, when days dedicated to outstanding personalities began to be especially celebrated.
Many of Johan Ludwig Runeberg's poems are set to music. More than 320 composers have written more than 900 works based on his texts. The book of psalms also contains many melodies of Runeberg's poems.
«Stories by Fenrik Stohl» — Runeberg's most famous poem. This is a patriotic work that depicts heroes of the war of 1808—1809. At the beginning of the work, the poem Maamme was presented for the first time.
The poem Maamme has been set to music more than 20 times. The melody by Fredrik Pacius, which was first performed in 1848, became the official national song of Finland. It, however, is not enshrined in Finnish laws, like other national symbols, flag and coat of arms.
The original poem in Swedish by Johan Ludwig Runeberg is:
Vårt land, vårt land, vårt fosterland,
ljud högt, o dyra ord!
Ej lyfts en höjd mot himlens rand,
ej sänks en dal, ej sköljs en strand,
mer älskad än vår bygd I nord,
än våra fäders jord!
Translation by Alexander Blok: Our region, our region, our native region
Oh, sound, louder than all words!
Whose ridge growing above the ground,
Whose breg standing over the water,
Love mountains and shores
The fathers' native land!
Also traditionally, the Runeberg Prize is awarded on Runeberg Day (Finnish). Runeberg-palkinto, Swedish. Runebergspriset) — is a prestigious literary award in Finland that dates back to 1987. Works written in Finnish or Swedish are nominated for this award.
This holiday has another interesting tradition — on this day it is customary to treat yourself to Runeberg cakes made according to the recipe of the poet’s wife Frederica. According to legend, she cooked them for her husband, who had a big sweet tooth and loved to start his day with something tasty.