Prime Minister Marin to host Independence Day party for hundreds of children

This year’s Independence Day festivities will culminate with a celebration for children, when Prime Minister Sanna Marin hosts the Children’s Independence Day party on 7 December at the House of the Estates. Hundreds of ten-year-olds from all over Finland – two from each municipality – have been invited to the event.

555 children from 280 municipalities will attend. The guests from Utsjoki, the northernmost municipality in Finland, will make the longest journey to take part in the celebration. 

The Children’s Independence Day party has been held three times before: in 2017, 2018 and 2019. The party could not be organised in 2020 or 2021 due to COVID-19. The theme of this year’s event is The Makers of the Future.

When the guests arrive, Prime Minister Marin will shake hands with each one and welcome them personally to the event. After the official portion, the guests will be treated to a social programme around the theme of the celebration. The Prime Minister’s Office plans and organises the party in cooperation with the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare and the Office of the Ombudsman for Children and the National Child Strategy.

The Children’s Independence Day party was held for the first time in 2017, in honour of Finland’s centenary. Since then, it has become an established part of the Independence Day festivities. In previous years, the Children’s Independence Day party has been hosted by Prime Ministers Juha Sipilä (2017 and 2018) and Antti Rinne (2019).

Inquiries: Tiina-Kaisa Laakso-Liukkonen, Chief Specialist, tel. +358 295 160 220, and Aapo Riihimäki, Communications Specialist, tel. +358 50 471 3020, Prime Minister’s Office.