May Day (or Vappu) in Finland is celebrated as both a Labour Day and a spring festival. It features student parades with white caps, workers' rallies, and family picnics with traditional treats like sima (mead) and doughnuts, making it one of Finland's most festive national holidays.

When is May Day?

May Day in Finland is celebrated on May 1 every year.

The following is the list of May Day from 2020 to 2049.

The History of May Day?

May Day has deep European roots as a spring festival, linked to fertility and the return of warmer weather. In Finland, it merged with local traditions and later with Walpurgis Night (Valpuri in Finnish), a Christian feast celebrated on April 30, named after Saint Walpurga, a missionary from the 8th century.

By the early 1800s, university students in Finland had adopted May Day as a day of celebration, marking the arrival of spring. Wearing the student cap became a central tradition, symbolizing education and youth identity.

In the late 1800s, May 1 also became associated with the labour movement, inspired by international workers' demonstrations for fair wages, shorter hours and workers' rights. By the 1890s, Finnish trade unions and leftist groups were organizing marches and rallies on May Day, giving the holiday a dual identity.

After Finland gained independence in 1917, May Day continued as both a workers' day and a student holiday, celebrated with parades, speeches, and public gatherings.

In 1979, May 1 was officially recognized as a public holiday in Finland, known as both Labour Day and Vappu.