Finnish flag

[oboebssn]

I have been looking all over trying to find this, but I've come up with nothing. Is there a proper way to fold and store the Finnish flag? I've heard something about keeping the cross on top, but I'm really not sure how to actually do this. I'd really like to know because I will be moving soon (to Helsinki or Tampere to study!) and I will probably need to store all my flags while I'm gone. (Incidentally, if anyone knows about the Icelandic and Estonian flags or where I could find out how to store them, that would also be great.)

[Jukka Aho]

I have been looking all over trying to find this, but I've come up with nothing. Is there a proper way to fold and store the Finnish flag? I've heard something about keeping the cross on top, but I'm really not sure how to actually do this.

The usual reasoning given for keeping the blue part (cross) on top, when folding the flag, is that it better protects the white fields from getting dirty while the flag is stored away.

Here’s a guide for folding the Finnish flag, in Finnish:

Lippu viikataan siten, että pintapuolelle jää lipun sininen osa, joka estää valkoisen osan likaantumista. Lippu viikataan seuraavasti; kaksi henkilöä ottaa kiinni lipun päistä ja ottaa toisella kädellä pihtiotteella pitkästä sinisestä osasta, noin 5 cm etäisyydeltä valkoisesta osasta ja päästävät lipun laskeutumaan molemmista reunoistaan alas. Sen jälkeen otetaan vapaalla kädellä kiinni pihtiotteella uudelleen sinisen osan alareunasta, taas noin 5 cm etäisyydeltä valkoisesta osasta ja päästetään sininen osa taittumaan alas. Sitten käännetään jäljellejäänyt valkoinen lieve sinisen osan selkäpuolelle ja otetaan tukeva ote taitetusta lipusta kahdella kädellä, siten, että sininen osa on alapuolella ja laskostetaan ensin puolestavälistä ja uudelleen puolestavälistä sekä lopuksi kerien noin 15-20 cm levyiseksi nyytiksi.

The above excerpt is from a Scout guidebook and glossary. (Partiosanakirja-Sanasto by Yrjö Nenonen.) I’m not sure if you need a translation. If you do, say so.

There are more guidelines for the proper handling and usage of the Finnish flag here (the common customs and rules concerning flying the flag, disposing of a damaged or a worn-out flag etc.):

• Lippuvalistus (Suomalaisuuden liitto)

You might also want to check out the Finnish Wikipedia article on the Finnish flag for the history, correct proportions, special variants, etc., or possibly also the English version of the same, although it’s not as comprehensive.

The official and recommended flag days can be found here. (Or in the Finnish calendars, marked with little flag icons.) They’re followed by government buildings and possibly housing companies. Ordinary citizens are not required (!) to follow them, but may do so if they want to. Ordinary citiznes may also fly the flag on any suitable personal occasion or significant family celebration (something like the 50th, 60th, 70th, etc. birthday, on graduation day etc.). Some do, some don’t bother, but private persons with flag poles will often fly the flag at least on Independence Day and Midsummer, as well as possibly on Mother’s Day.