Finnish Swedish Heritage Day in Finland Date in the current year: November 6, 2024

The territory of present-day Finland became a part of Sweden in the 13th century. Even when Finland became a part of the Russian Empire, the Swedish language was still spoken by many people in Finland and had an official language status. Nowadays, Finnish and Swedish are the two official languages of the country, Swedish being the native language of 5% of the Finland's population.

The Swedish People's Party of Finland created Finland Swedish Heritage Day in 1908. The date of November 6 was chosen because it coincides with Gustavus Adolphus Day (the anniversary of the king's death). The reign of king Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden marked the beginning of the Swedish Empire.

Finnish Swedish Heritage Day focuses on strengthening the Swedish-speaking Finnish community and emphasizing the fact that both language groups are part of Finland. On the day, celebrations are held in schools and broadcast on the radio. Although it is not an official flag day, the Finnish flag is still flown, along with the flag of the Swedish-speaking Finns (a red banner with a yellow cross).