Traditional Independence Day festivities and children’s celebration

The Independence Day celebration for families with children will take place on Wednesday 6 December 2023 at 14–16 at Vaasa City Hall. Organised for the first time last year, the celebration was very popular among families with children in Vaasa.

The programme includes performances by Oulun Tähtisirkus at 14:00 and 15:00 in the City Hall ballroom. Both performances run for 20 minutes. In cooperation with the Ostrobothnian Children’s Culture Network, we will organise a dance workshop where you can learn traditional dances with Annina Ylikoski and Johanna Lönngren from 14.00 to 16.00. A crafts session to make bookmarks will take place from 14.00 to 16.00. Vaasan Jaakkoo Foundation scholarships will also be awarded at the event.

– This year, the festival seeks to promote movement in different ways, with circus performances and traditional dance workshops accessible to all, regardless of their mother tongue! We were delighted to see that last year’s festival also attracted multicultural families from Vaasa,” says Jenni Niemi, Head of Culture Services.

The event is open to all, free of charge, and juice will be served. Children from classes 3A and 3B of the Central School will oversee decorating the party. The event is organised by the city’s Library and Culture Services.

Programme for Independence Day 6 December 2023 in Vaasa

Vaasa’s traditional Independence Day programme will have events at the hero graves, Vaasa church, and Vaasa War Veteran Museum.

9.00 Solemn flag-raising ceremony on the Barracks Square Memorial Wall
10.00 Bilingual Independence Day service in Vaasa Church. The wreath-laying ceremony’s foreword after the service
11.00 Independence Day service in Vähäkyrö Church. Wreath-laying ceremony. Catering at the Congregation Hall
11.30 Wreath-laying ceremony at the monuments of Vaasa Cemetery
12.00–14.00 The Vaasa War Veteran Museum open (Kirkkopuistikko 22 A)
14.00-16.00 Independence Day Celebration for families with children at Vaasa City Hall
16.00 Finnish Mass in Vaasa Church
16.45 Student Torchlight Procession (from the Culture House Fanny along Raastuvankatu to the Vaasa Statue of Liberty)
17.00 Traditional Students’ Union Independence Day greeting at the Vaasa Statue of Liberty. Choral singing, speeches.
18.00–21.00 Youth Independence Day Party, Youth Centre Cross, Kauppapuistikko 4. For catering, please register in advance by 1 December by contacting youth work instructor Lotta Fredman, 044 480 8248.

A concert on Finnish Music Day 8 December

Independence Day Week also marks Finnish Music Day, and on Friday 8 December at 19:00, the Vaasa City Orchestra will perform Finnish Musical Pearls, a concert of Finnish musical treasures, including music by national composer Jean Sibelius. This concert will feature pianist Ossi Tanner and will be conducted by German conductor Jascha van der Goltz.

For the Independence Day programme and up-to-date information, visit the website (In Finnish): www.vaasa.fi/itsenaisyyspaiva.