Today, Finland is celebrating Evacuees’ Flag Day (Evakkojen liputuspäivä), honouring the people who fled their homes during World War II.
Around 430,000 people living in Finland were permanently forced to leave their homes during the war, with another 200,000 evacuating temporarily. At the time, this represented about 11 percent of Finland’s population.
Although Evacuees’ Flag Day is not an official flag day, government agencies and institutions, including Finland’s Ministry of the Interior, have encouraged people to fly the flag across the country.
The year 2026 marks the second time the event has been observed. Evacuees’ Flag Day was launched by the Karelian Association, with the date chosen to coincide with the association’s founding anniversary on 20 April 1940.
The Karelian Association is an organisation that promotes Karelian culture and history. It also serves as an interest group for Karelian evacuees. As of 2023, the organisation consists of 14 districts in Finland and cooperates with other Karelian movements and organisations.